Democrats who are nervous about reelection are increasingly ready to consider scrapping the new healthcare law's provision that forces people to buy health insurance or pay a fine. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), one of President Obama's closest allies in the Senate, on Wednesday said she would consider scrapping the controversial mandate in favor of a "viable" alternative. "There's other ways we can get people into the pool 'I hope' other than a mandate, and we need to look at that," McCaskill said on MSNBC. McCaskill is facing a tough reelection race in 2012. Three-quarters of Missouri voters opposed the individual mandate in a referendum during the August primary, so her support for the healthcare legislation could become a sticking point for her campaign.
