Romney: As first act, out with ObamaCare (He'll say anything you want him to say, just vote for him)

PoliticalHotwire.com ^ | May 11, 2011 | Mittens Romney

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Health care is more than just one-sixth of the American economy. It is a source of well-being for individuals and families. We are blessed with much that is good in American health care. But we have taken a turn for the worse with ObamaCare, with its high taxes and vastly expanded federal control over our lives. I believe the better course is to empower the states to determine their own health care futures.

First, the good news: Health care in the United States has made remarkable advances in our lifetimes. Dramatic improvements in medical technology have expanded both the length and quality of life. And the U.S. health care system continues to provide consumers with many choices.

But our health care system has several well-known problems: high and rising costs, significant numbers of Americans without insurance, and glaring gaps in quality and efficiency.

We can fix these problems. Unfortunately, with the passage of ObamaCare last year, the president and the Congress took a wrong turn. ObamaCare will lead to more spending, greater federal involvement in health care and negative effects on U.S. economic activity. The president definitely forgot the admonition to "do no harm."

My plan is to harness the power of markets to drive positive change in health insurance and health care. And we can do so with state flexibility (unlike ObamaCare's top-down federal approach), no new taxes (as opposed to hundreds of billions of dollars of new taxes under ObamaCare), and better consumer choice (as opposed to bureaucratic, government choice under ObamaCare). This change of direction offers our best hope of preserving both innovation and value.

If I am elected president, I will issue on my first day in office an executive order paving the way for waivers from ObamaCare for all 50 states. Subsequently, I will call on Congress to fully repeal ObamaCare.

The reforms that I propose, which are based on the same philosophical tenets as the reforms I offered during my last presidential campaign in 2008, return power to the states, improve access by slowing health care cost increases, and make health insurance portable and flexible for today's economy.

Step 1: Give states the responsibility, flexibility and resources to care for citizens who are poor, uninsured or chronically ill. This reform speaks to the central advantage of our federalist system — that different states will experiment with and settle on the solutions that suit their residents best. Some states might pass a plan like the one we did in Massachusetts, while others will choose an altogether different route. We can empower states to expand health care access to low-income Americans by block-granting funds for Medicaid and the uninsured. My reforms also offer the states resources to help the chronically ill — both to improve their access to care and to improve the functioning of insurance markets for others.

Step 2: Reform the tax code to promote the individual ownership of health insurance. The tax code offers open-ended subsidies for the purchase of insurance through employers. This subsidy is unfair — as it doesn't apply to insurance purchased on one's own. I propose to give individuals a choice between the current system and a tax deduction to buy insurance on their own. This simple change creates the best of both worlds. Absolutely nothing will change for those who like their current coverage. And individuals who don't get coverage through their employers will have portable, lower-cost options.

Step 3: Focus federal regulation of health care on making markets work. This means both correcting common failures in insurance markets as well as eliminating counterproductive federal rules. For example, individuals who are continuously covered for a specified period of time may not be denied access to insurance because of pre-existing conditions. And individuals should be allowed to purchase insurance across state lines, free from costly state benefit requirements. Finally, individuals and small businesses should be allowed to form purchasing pools to lower insurance costs and improve choice.

Step 4: Reform medical liability. We should cap non-economic damages in medical malpractice litigation. The federal government would also provide innovation grants to states for reforms, such as alternative dispute resolution or health care courts.

Step 5: Make health care more like a consumer market and less like a government program. This can be done by strengthening health savings accounts that help consumers save for health expenses and choose cost-effective insurance. For example, we should eliminate the minimum deductible requirement for HSAs. The market reforms I am proposing will drive down costs, better inform consumers and improve the quality of health care in our nation.

These five steps are positive change. They will reduce health care costs, improve access and enhance value for the money. My reforms put quality, choiceand innovation — not Washington — in charge.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Mittens will be anybody you want him to be, say anything you want him to say, just vote for him because he wants to be President real, real bad and he deserves it.

[cranked]

Further proof that politicians believe that we the voters are stupid.

Here’s a thought RomneyIdiot: Repeal RomneyCare before you go spouting idiocy on repealing something that deep down, you would have little to no problems with....for this nation... =.=

[plain talk]

“Mittens will be anybody you want him to be, say anything you want him to say, just vote for him because he wants to be President real, real bad and he deserves it. “

you left out one important point

HE THINKS IT’S HIS TURN

[doc1019]

I would rather not vote, than vote for this RINO. Not that he has a chance and therefore I will not have to make that choice.

I would love to know just what ego trip he is on that makes him think he has a shot. No way, no how.

I have a better chance in winning the lottery then he has of getting the nomination as the RNC choice as the next presidential nomination.

[ansel12]

The thing about Romney is that no one knows why he is running for political office, any political office.

[byteback]

Why do you oppose state’s rights so much? You must REALLY hate Reagan.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

You know, if Mitt would have argued the federalism point of view regarding Romneycare, I would have had an ounce more respect for him.

All he had to say was "Hey, I tried to make universal healthcare work in my state and it didn't, so this shouldn't be tried on a national level." And he should have said this during when Obamacare was being shoved down our throats.

This clown has no leadership whatsoever. My vote's going to Governor Palin.

[GOPsterinMA]

“I would rather not vote, than vote for this RINO.”

If, by some work of the Devil it comes to pass that Milt is the nominee, I will blank the POTUS selection on my ballot.

No G-D way will he get my vote.

[magna carta]

NEW WORLD ORDER TRASH

[Tennessee Nana]

Gee thats too bad

He’ll just have to tough it out

I dont intend to vote for him...ever...

Cmon Mitty...y’all get through this..

the rejection will build some charactor in ya

or not...

[Tennessee Nana]

The word is common

[sickoflibs]

Have you seen him speak? Boring... and too predictable.

[GOPsterinMA]

I think you give Milt too much credit.

He’s just another arrogant ass-munch, pissing away his ca$h. Honestly, I don’t think he’s too bright.

[Luke21]

You comparing Romney and Reagan? That’s madness.

[DaxtonBrown]

[My plan is to harness the power of markets to drive positive change in health insurance and health care. ]

Aye, warp nine. But Cap’n the warp drive will nah take it!

Let’s harnes those dilithium crystals this time around.

[screaminsunshine]

I am disgusted.

[preamble]

as someone who voted for this guy for governor of massachusetts....

he kind of has the same problem as Obama. he’s an opportunist.
he’ll say anything.

governor jane swift (R) (who had been elected lt. governor) was going to run.
but she was not viewed as a strong enough candidate. Republican activists (read: RINO) urged Romney to run for Governor.
there were some residency issues because Romney resided in Utah
for winter olympics.

Romney was going to all these great things. use his business acumen.
well, he did little in 4 years. in fact, he used the post as a jumping
off point for his presidential run in 2008. he wasn’t in the state the
last two years.
Then he left MA republicans high and dry. He refused to run for a second
term.
Thus, we got Deval Patrick (David Axelrod campaign manager) from
Chicago and “YES WE CAN” original them for Governor in 2006.

So Romney is just a RINO tool.

He is not effective.

Heck, I don’t think he knows what a conservative is.

I will NEVER vote for MITTENS.

we need men to repeal the last two years. (Michele Bachmann line!)

[bwc2221]

Is that you Mitt? Come out from under that desk.

[BobP]

The 'Republican John Kerry' now he has to try to overcome his flip-flopping on abortion, gay marriage and RomneyCare.

Mitt's 'I was for it but now I'm against it' RomneyCare is a millstone around his neck, it's made him unelectable.

You'll need a weathervane to determine which way Romney will stand on any given issue. Mitt will change his policies at any given moment depending on who is listening. Just too fake, plastic and untrustworthy.

In 2006 when Romneycare was being instituted, Romney's friends were celebrating. Charlie (I only made $1.7 million at Harvard Pilgrim) Baker got a gold-mine future in the insurance industry with the mandatory purchase of insurance - not a tax, but a purchase you can't refuse. Obamacare and Romneycare - the two are very, similar.

Please choose a better nominee. This guy is a phony.

Romneycare = Obamacare which = Big Government
Big Government = End of liberty = End of America
Repeal Obamacare
Repeal Romneycare

[GizzyGirl]

I would rather not vote, than vote for this RINO

I feel exactly the same way — and there really isn't anything that could or would change my mind. I really hope this isn't something that would come true, I've voted every mid-term and presidential election since the first time I could.