Romney highly recommended the individual mandate to the President, in 2009

[Grace62]

That thing he now says shouldn't be applied at the federal level?
That law he wants repealed? He was luvin' it just a couple years ago.


He wrote an op-ed piece for USA Today back in 2009 bragging about his Massachusetts health care reform and recommending something similar to the President. And of course the bill we ended up with IS a lot like what Mass. has.

The piece is no longer available at USA Today but is found in part at the archive of Romney's old PAC site: "Free Strong America"
[web.archive.org]

"Our experience also demonstrates that getting every citizen insured doesn't have to break the bank. First, we established incentives for those who were uninsured to buy insurance. Using tax penalties, as we did, or tax credits, as others have proposed, encourages "free riders" to take responsibility for themselves rather than pass their medical costs on to others. This doesn't cost the government a single dollar. "

[Chakravartin]

How dare you use facts and personal statements against a republican!!

[Grace62]

Hmm, thought I had linked that. Guess not.


This is a pro-Mitt website not linked to Romney's campaign.

http://mittromneycentral.com/op-eds/2009...-the-rush/

[Ca Bob]

The real story is just how easily the right wing faithful get led around by the nose by the right wing media shills. When Obama was elected, they suddenly found fiscal responsibility, after running multiple invasions and wars on the credit card. Then when there was some danger that the Democrats would accomplish long needed health insurance reform, they concocted the argument about the mandate. This in spite of its earlier supporters including Gingrich and Romney. But none of this mattered to the Tea Party group, because they had an excuse to hang their hatred of Obama on.

So as a result of all this pure nonsense, we got a stimulus package that was about fifty-percent underfunded resulting in a slowed down recovery, and we failed to get the public option health insurance plan which would have brought market competition to the health insurance business. Mitch McConnell and his allies have a lot to answer for.

[RgrF]

It's doubtful they ever will, it takes an educated politically aware electorate to enact a price for previous and/or current mistakes. How else to explain the political longevity of a Jesse Helms or Strom Thurmon.