McKinley goes off-script on HCR

Freshman congressman David McKinley of Wheeling is again zigging where the rest of the GOP is zagging.

With the GOP-controlled House planning a symbolic vote on repealing Obama's health bill, McKinley told the NYTimes yesterday that he's in favor of parts of the Democrat's legislation:

"[McKinley]  said prohibitions on lifetime coverage caps and on discrimination against people with pre-existing medical conditions should “absolutely” stay in force, even if health care costs would have to rise.

“If it means increasing my premiums, so be it,” he said. “That’s what insurance is about.”

The comments come a couple weeks after the congressman from northern West Virginia criticized a conservative Republican budget plan for its changes to Medicare.

WV-1 is has a Democratric registration edge but is still R+9 in Cook PVI.  Democrats held the seat for 40 years before former congressman Alan Mollohan was defeated by a conservative primary challenger in 2010. This fall he faces Democratic campaign worker Sue Thorn of Wheeling.

UPDATE: All that said, McKinley is still a cosponsor of the House GOP Obamacare repeal bill.