re: GOP on health care
Step one in any policy decision is not to do more damage. That in itself is sufficient, if it came to that.
There have been any number of alternative ideas, mostly relating to trying to bring market forces back into the system while preserving programs that assist those who cannot fend for themselves. Needless to say, they don't make a lot of news headlines, and to be blunt, the GOP seems to suck at getting its ideas out there even discounting the news bias.