The road to Obamacare replacement is getting rockier

Republicans are facing deep political potholes as they move down the road of repealing and replacing Obamacare.

The major obstacles were clearer than ever before as President Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan and other GOP leaders spent Tuesday touting their newly-released legislation to reshape the Affordable Care Act but leave some of its basic frameworks in place — a strategy that opened them up to sharp criticism from all sides.

Conservative House and Senate members threatened full revolt, calling the plan "Obamacare Lite." Influential groups including Heritage Action and Americans for Prosperity panned the plan for the same reason, saying it leaves way too much of the law intact.

Democrats, who opposed the repeal effort from the get-go, said they're ready to pummel their GOP colleagues at committee markups on Wednesday over how the plan would likely leave fewer people insured. Hospital and doctors associations cited similar worries that it would result in loss of coverage.

Aides and analysts privately bemoaned its provisions repealing insurer regulations and adding in abortion restrictions that likely can't pass muster under special Senate rules.