Posted on 01/30/2012 9:59:42 AM PST by throwback
JACKSONVILLE — The candidates have circled the issue for months, throwing bantam punches that mostly missed. During Thursday night's GOP presidential debate, Rick Santorum broke through with an aggressive dismantling of Mitt Romney on health care.
"Your mandate is no different than Barack Obama's mandate. It is the same mandate," Santorum said. "Folks, we can't give this issue away in this election. It is about fundamental freedom."
Romney until that point had delivered a performance that re-established his claim to the Republican nomination — a goal he could leap toward Tuesday by winning Florida's primary.
But Santorum drew fresh attention to a weakness that has long shadowed Romney. While he rails against "Obamacare," the similarities with the plan Romney implemented as governor of Massachusetts — "Romneycare," as Santorum called it — could deflate a contrast Republicans are eager to draw in the general election with President Obama.
It's easy to imagine Democratic ads juxtaposing Romney's campaign rhetoric with his support of the plan in Massachusetts, which is widely popular among residents, and was a template for the federal law.
"It's the Et tu, Brute strategy," said Alex Castellanos, a national Republican strategist who worked for Romney in 2008. "You try to kill somebody by trying to hug them and get as close as possible. It's smart politics. It just doesn't happen to be true."
(Excerpt) Read more at tampabay.com ...
But...but, Santorum is propping him up...! Santorum, that sly devil, effectively leveling attacks against Romney that the other candidates were unable to do all in the attempt to keep Romney in the race. We’re on to you.
/sarcasm.
Just like the other socialists say....if we just get the right people to run it, and spend more money it will work!!!! That is what he is gonna say....no way in the world will Romney pull it, especially if the supreme court doesn’t do it.
Read my tagline------------>
“I pledge to repeal Obamcare” should be a boilerplate requirement of all candidates. Anything less is something to get upset about.
Not sure that Coulter was bought off. Her sympathies seem to lie with the liberal side increasingly...
Ann Coulter to Serve as Honorary Chair of GOProud’s Advisory Council
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2761338/posts
Ann Coulter Sours On Sarah Palin: ‘I’m Starting To Dislike Her Because Of Her Fans’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2837989/posts
This is only puzzling if you think that Republicans are conservative. For the most part they're not. They're socialist lites who worship big government as much as Democrats, but differ from the Democrats on just how to organize it and pay for it. Look at last election when the Republican establishment put forth the worthless liberal McCain, and now the big Republican money is flowing the liberal Mittens.
And Romney’s response to Santorum was typical of Romney. He can’t actually talk the issue, so he talked about Santorum’s character. Anyone who has to attack someone else’s character as much as Romney has to opposing candidates cannot be trusted. Period.
Governor Arnold did the same thing in California. Posed as a Conservative, and even a Republican when he was neither.
Absolutely agree with you. I’m listening to Mark Levin and he was playing a tape of Romney earlier thanking his “consort Ted Kennedy” for helping him with Romneycare. Say what? And people expect this guy to repeal Obamacare? Ann Coulter believe this “consort of Ted Kennedy”?
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