Senators get tough reality check on Obamacare repeal

Early bipartisan talks on healthcare reform in the Senate face enormous hurdles trying to get over wide partisan divisions on Obamacare's Medicaid expansion and taxes.

Several Republican senators and three Democrats met Monday night to discuss a bipartisan path forward on healthcare reform. But by Tuesday, the stark political reality sank in.

Republicans need to stop talking about repealing Obamacare if they want to hold serious bipartisan talks on healthcare reform, several Democrats said. The desire to focus on "repairing" the healthcare law has been a common talking point in the party.

"I don't think there is a Democrat that would vote for any type of a repeal," said Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who attended the meeting. "I think there would be 48 Democrats willing to work on repairing and fixing."

But beyond rhetoric, some Democrats outlined several key concerns in the meeting organized by Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Susan Collins, R-Maine.