In an otherwise fine editorial, the Wall Street Journal writes that, after Republicans vote for Obamacare’s full repeal (next week), they should “attack ObamaCare piece by piece,” by “restor[ing] funding for Medicare Advantage” and passing other bills of that nature – which, the Journal writes, would “perhaps even force Mr. Obama to use a veto or two.” But such advice ignores the important fact that attempting to repeal Obamacare piece-by-piece gives Obama the chance to improve it piece-by-piece – and to make it look (somewhat) bipartisan in the process.

It’s fine to send President Obama partial-repeal legislation (if it were to get through the Senate) that he effectively can’t sign because it would fatally undermine Obamacare as a whole — for example, repealing Obamacare’s individual mandate. And it’s fine to repeal the onerous 1099 requirement, which even Obama has more or less admitted should go and which has little to do with health care in any event. (There’s no need for the GOP to be obstructionist by refusing to take Obama up on his implicit offer to scrap this provision.)