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Gingrich: Health Insurance Mandate 'Started As Conservative Effort to Stop Hillarycare'
CNSNews ^

Posted on 12/11/2011 12:55:16 PM PST by Sub-Driver

Gingrich: Health Insurance Mandate 'Started As Conservative Effort to Stop Hillarycare' By Terence P. Jeffrey December 11, 2011

(CNSNews.com) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Saturday defended his previous support of a federal mandate requiring people to buy health insurance by saying that "virtually every conservative saw the mandate as a less dangerous future" than the health-care plan being advanced by then-First Lady Hillary Clinton in 1993 and that the idea of mandating that people buy health insurance "started as a conservative effort to stop Hillarycare in the 1990s."

As recently as this May, Gingrich defended what he called a "variation" on the insurance mandate.

On Saturday, however, said: “It’s now clear that the mandate, I think, is clearly unconstitutional.”

Gingrich explained the evolution of his view on the individual mandate in a Republican presidential debate from Des Moines, Iowa, that was broadcast Saturday night on ABC.

"I just wanted to make one point that is historical,” Gingrich said in the debate. “In 1993, in fighting Hillarycare, virtually every conservative saw the mandate as a less dangerous future than what Hillary was trying to do. The Heritage Foundation was a major advocate of it. After Hillarycare disappeared, it became more and more obvious that mandates had all sorts of problems built in to them. People gradually tried to find other techniques. I frankly was floundering trying to find a way to make sure that people who could afford it were paying their hospital bills, while still leaving an out for libertarians to not buy insurance. And that’s what we were wrestling with. It’s now clear that the mandate, I think, is clearly unconstitutional. But is]t started as conservative effort to stop Hillarycare in the 1990s.”

(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: gingrich; healthcare; healthinsurance; heritage; heritagefoundation; hillarycare; individualmandate; insurance; insurancemandate; mandate; newt; newtgingrich; obamacare; rino
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He has more positions than China has rice.........
1 posted on 12/11/2011 12:55:19 PM PST by Sub-Driver
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To: Sub-Driver

That’s not a position, it’s a statement of fact.

Conservatives were willing to settle for a mandate.


2 posted on 12/11/2011 12:56:59 PM PST by TitansAFC (Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry are not your enemies, my fellow Freepers!)
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To: Sub-Driver; TitansAFC

****I frankly was floundering trying to find a way to make sure that people who could afford it were paying their hospital bills, while still leaving an out for libertarians to not buy insurance.****

That is called examining the problem and attempting to encourage citizens to assume responsibility for their lives and to limit the role of government.

What a concept - and the man admits to floundering. Diogenes - we have found him!!!


3 posted on 12/11/2011 1:01:47 PM PST by sodpoodle ( Gingrich - flying solo - without congressional baggage!!!)
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To: Sub-Driver

lol.

Nothing “conservative” about complete capitulation

This man is willing to go halfway with the Dems on anything.

Abandon capitalism to save capitalism I guess


4 posted on 12/11/2011 1:02:43 PM PST by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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To: TitansAFC
In my - now 17+ year old memories of that time - I never remembered mandates coming up as a "conservative alternative" to Hillarycare.

I remember Health Care Savings Accounts (as does Santorum).

I remember allowing small companies, groups (churches) and individuals to pool together to increase buying power.

I remember tort reform.

But I sure don't remember any stinkin' "mandate"!

Newt may not be Mittens, but not by much. He'll spin a yarn at the drop of a hat.

5 posted on 12/11/2011 1:03:13 PM PST by Yossarian ("All the charm of Nixon. All the competency of Carter." - SF Chronicle comment post on Obama)
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To: Sub-Driver

What conservatives and how come the average voter did not know this?


6 posted on 12/11/2011 1:04:45 PM PST by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote; then find me a real conservative to vote for)
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To: Sub-Driver

Spin is spin..


7 posted on 12/11/2011 1:09:10 PM PST by org.whodat (Just another heartless American, hated by "AMNESTY" Newt, Willard, Perry and his fellow supporters)
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To: Yossarian

Perhaps you should check with the Heritage Foundation. It was their idea first. They since decided it was not a Conservative idea.


8 posted on 12/11/2011 1:15:41 PM PST by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: Sub-Driver
That's what happens when you think for yourself. Drones are afraid of it however because they don't know how to do it.
9 posted on 12/11/2011 1:22:06 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: Yossarian
The individual "mandate" was advanced by the Heritage Foundation. Sorry you weren't paying attention.
10 posted on 12/11/2011 1:24:06 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: Yossarian

“I never remembered mandates coming up as a “conservative alternative” to Hillarycare.”

Newt’s efforts to rewrite history are downright dishonest.

Now he pretends to be a reaganite but at the time he said that if George Bush ran as a continuation of Reagan he would lose:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZyevTo8nhU

And according to him, FDR was the greatest president in US history:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgdzZJePL04


11 posted on 12/11/2011 1:24:55 PM PST by BarnacleCenturion
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To: TitansAFC

Newt is a progressive republican. Deal with it.

He will destroy the GOP along with the country.


12 posted on 12/11/2011 1:25:23 PM PST by CSI007
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To: freekitty
The average voter wasn't paying attention, obviously. After all, they had just finished electing clinton.
13 posted on 12/11/2011 1:25:26 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: BarnacleCenturion

Newt is a progressive. What else is new.


14 posted on 12/11/2011 1:26:55 PM PST by CSI007
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To: CSI007
Newt is a progressive republican. Deal with it.
He will destroy the GOP along with the country.

Worth repeating.

15 posted on 12/11/2011 1:27:54 PM PST by Hoodat (Because they do not change, Therefore they do not fear God. -Psalm 55:19-)
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To: Sub-Driver

“On Saturday, however, said: “It’s now clear that the mandate, I think, is clearly unconstitutional.””

I would call it the evolution of ones thoughts. In this case in the right direction. I believe Newt is speaking openly about his ideas on the subject and how he came to the conclusions as to where he is at today. Of course his detractors will just call him a liar.


16 posted on 12/11/2011 1:33:18 PM PST by Parley Baer
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To: Sub-Driver

“He has more positions than China has rice...”

Yes, but thanks for posting anyway. That explanation he during the debate was factual, even though Newt seems to me to try to swim with what he perceives to be the tide of history, rather than fight it.


17 posted on 12/11/2011 1:40:23 PM PST by ngat
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To: CSI007

The GOP was destroyed long ago.


18 posted on 12/11/2011 1:42:51 PM PST by TennTuxedo
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To: TennTuxedo

I fear you are correct. I thought the tea party could right things but that is looking less and less likely.


19 posted on 12/11/2011 1:48:30 PM PST by CSI007
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To: freekitty
He mentioned the Heritage Foundation.

I searched Heritage's website and found this:

Why Conservatives Need a National Health Plan

This version is not exactly paragraph-friendly so here's the PDF version of it. Look on page 6. That sounds like an individual mandate to me.

20 posted on 12/11/2011 1:53:15 PM PST by Sister_T (I am PROUD of Herman Cain and his accomplishments. And I still support him!)
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