{mosads}The Republican strategist goes on to cite polling data from a survey conducted for his conservative political organization Crossroads GPS highlighting the potential danger for Republicans.
According to Rove, independents break 58-30 percent against defunding the Affordable Care Act if it risks even a temporary shutdown of government.
Rove’s column comes amid Republican infighting over how to deal with looming deadlines to pass a budget resolution and raise the debt ceiling. House leadership had initially proposed a plan that would have forced the Senate to take a symbolic vote on defunding ObamaCare, but not married a stopgap measure to undermining the law. But conservatives in the House bucked, and on Wednesday Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he would proceed with a continuing resolution stripping funding for the healthcare law.
On Thursday, the White House issued a formal veto threat on the House bill.
“The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.J. Res. 59, making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014 and for other purposes, because it advances a narrow ideological agenda that threatens our economy and the interests of the middle class,” the statement said.
“The Resolution would defund the Affordable Care Act, denying millions of hard-working middle class families the security of affordable health coverage.”