Posted on 03/22/2012 10:41:37 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Just as conservatives have always warned, if the GOP nominates Mitt Romney for president, the current president will try to use him as a scapegoat for Obamacare. Proof:
"We designed a program that actually previously had support of Republicans, including the person who may end up being the Republican standard bearer and is now pretending like he came up with something different" the president said.
The Massachusetts plan served as a model for the Affordable Care Act, signed two years ago Friday. Romney, the state's former governor, has since said the legislation was the correct course for his state but not meant as a model for a national overhaul. But the plan has proved a focal point of criticism aimed at the GOP frontrunner.
In Thursday’s interview, Obama said Republican opposition to the plan, including the Supreme Court challenge, is politically motivated.
Maybe “scapegoat” isn’t exactly the best word. In this interview, Obama was extolling the virtues of Obamacare and tying Romney to it, so maybe he was actually trying to share “credit” for the health care overhaul.
Either way, the only defense Romney has offered for Romneycare — still – is that he signed it into law at the state level. Ann Coulter has argued that that is an adequate defense.
But if for no other reason than that Romneycare included an individual mandate, it’s problematic. Sure, a mandate at the state level is constitutional, but, in case you’ve forgotten, a federal mandate to buy insurance is not constitutional. Moreover, once upon a time, Romney explicitly expressed support for a national mandate.
It’s been two years since the president signed Obamacare into law and, for two years, conservatives have known Romney would be in trouble for the way Romneycare connects him to the least-liked entitlement program in the nation’s history. Two years and I still don’t see how Romney gets around this issue.
Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrohm says the campaign will clear its Etch a Sketch for the general election, but no magic and no messaging will erase Romneycare. It has been and will be his Achilles heel unless and until he completely disavows it.
Phil Kerpen is hopeful that Romney can win Obama in the “battle of the health care flip-floppers,” but I’m not so sure. Will undecideds who despise Obamacare look at Romney and see a clear difference? It’s the same question that’s plagued the Romney campaign from Day One. So, why won’t he do something about it and disavow Romneycare completely?
If holograms had testes, Obama would have Bishop Willard gripped by them.
Obama’s comment is funny, and more than half-true. Romney didn’t even try to hold down costs with death panels.
I’ll still have to HMN (hold my nose) and vote for him if he’s the GOP nominee, but Geeze, Mittens, why can’t you admit you made a mistake?
This is going to be a big problem with a Romney as a nominee.
Makes me ill. Romney better hope SCOTUS throws it all out prior to the election.
Not to worry.
RINOmney will simply shake his Etch-A-Sketch and all of RINOmneycare will disappear...or...he really didn’t support it....or...it really isn’t like Obamcare....or....or.
We knew this was coming. The ObamaLoon will eviscorate the Vapid Dork.
“Geeze, Mittens, why can’t you admit you made a mistake?”
I guess because he wants to take away the “heartless Republicans had years to Do Something about the rising cost of healthcare” argument. One thing wrong with that: he won’t win a vote that wouldn’t have already been waiting for him, as Obama owns the Did Something title.
If Romney is the nominee, he’s going to get absolutely murdered on this. he wont be able to breathe.
* SanFranNan says 0bamacare gives life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ... and world peace [BARF]
* SlowJoe Biden calls it a Big F'ng Deal
* and the only thing Barry offers is ... my opponent's plan sucks just as much as mine?!
Why not...the GOP and the Democratic Party are going to pretend to have a Presidential election this fall....
If the Republican party is serious about repealing Obamacare, then the presidential nominee and all, or practically all candidates for the House and Senate must run on a platform that includes the repeal of Obamacare.
If that’s the case, and even if Romney is the nominee, I don’t think Obama and the Dims will gain much by saying Romney supported a similar policy a governor. If the entire party is running on repeal, Obama will sound sort of silly constantly carping about the past. There are plenty of flip/flops in Obama’s past to bring up on policy positions.
Indeed. This is the issue that drove the 2010 elections and the public shows no sign of warming to it - yet the GOP is pushing the one candidate who can't make a campaign issue of it.
Seems terribly deliberate to me.
I don’t get to say this often, but...
Barack Obama is absolutely right!
Unfortunately, if Bishop Willard is the GOP nominee, this fall I’ll probably find myself agreeing with Obama more than I ever have.
If Santorum gets the nomination, Obama, his campaign and the left-wing media will have to tell many lies and distortions about him. If its Romney, they will simply have to tell the truth about him.
I still think that Obama is going to try to withdraw the federal mandate before the whole law is ruled unconstitutional and then try to separate the law from the mandate, calling for the states to pass a mandate of their own.
It might not work over the longer term, but it will long enough to get past the election.
Romney will be toast.
RE: calling for the states to pass a mandate of their own.
Most states will NOT pass any mandate ( Massachusetts already has one ). But based on past history — states like , California, Illinois and New York will probably heed his call....
Johnsoncare/Hillarycare/Romneycare/Obamacare/Totalitariancare
socialists covering up their mess...morphing into totalitarians
DEPOPULATE socialists/totalitarians from the body politic.
Some of their damage...
live - free - republic
Washington State is already moving in that direction, passing all the precursors for Obamacare and even appealing a state court decision protecting religious conscientious objections to dispensing morning after pills and a requirement that all insurance companies cover abortion.
Washington State is already moving in that direction, passing all the precursors for Obamacare and even appealing a state court decision protecting religious conscientious objections to dispensing morning after pills and a requirement that all insurance companies cover abortion.
We also have assisted suicide and medical marijuana (on a limited basis).
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