Gingrich Applauded Romney's Health Plan [headline is a lie]

Wall St. J ^ | December 27, 2011 | BRODY MULLINS AND JANET ADAMY

[Steelfish]

DECEMBER 27, 2011 Gingrich Applauded Romney's Health Plan

BY BRODY MULLINS AND JANET ADAMY

Newt Gingrich voiced enthusiasm for Mitt Romney's Massachusetts health-care law when it was passed five years ago, the same plan he has been denouncing over the past few months as he campaigned for the Republican presidential nomination.

"The health bill that Governor Romney signed into law this month has tremendous potential to effect major change in the American health system," said an April 2006 newsletter published by Mr. Gingrich's former consulting company, the Center for Health Transformation.

[greeneyes]

I don’t want the federal government involved in health care, which is why I don’t necessarily think that “selling insurance across state lines” is great - it is just another way to let the FEDS take over health care.

Any way, there are already companies that do have policies offered in more than one state. Golden Rule, Blue Cross Blue Shield to name a couple.

[Utmost Certainty]

Going back last year, tens of thousands of Americans marched on Washington to voice their unanimous opposition to government-run healthcare. I share in that opposition, regardless of whether it's Obama's health care plan, or whether it's Mitt Romney's or Newt Gingrich's. It doesn't make it OK simply because Newt Gingrich happens to be behind it.

Individual mandate ≠ government-run healthcare. Obamacare is an infinitely more convoluted beast than just the individual mandate part.

Anyhow, Gingrich isn't supporting an individual mandate. And to the contrary, I'd say he's actually in an ideal position—having been part of think tanks and worked considerably on issues of health care reform years—to explain thoroughly and clearly to Americans why individual mandate approaches are unconstitutional and inefficacious, and why implementations like Obamacare are a 'cure' far worse than the disease.

[Prole]

Romney can beat Obama, but Gingrich cannot. While Romney can be steered to the right, Gingrich is all over the damn place. When he isn’t making kissy faces with Nancy Pelosi, he is running around telling everyone that he is a Reagan Conservative. Then he pushes a medical program similar to Obamacare, only to run around saying how much he hates it.

[chrisnj]

Problem is - the R, especially Romney, will not use the ammo against obumo. First ammo they can use - soetoro/barry/soebarkah/bounel/shabbaz/obama is NOT an article 2 natural born citizen therefore NOT constitutionally eligible to be president! And must be removed from the 2012 ballots!

[chrisnj]

Well said! Don’t foeget the no. 1 ammo against soetoro/soebarkah/barry/bounel/obama - this aka is NOT an article 2 natural born citizen and must be removed from the 2012 ballots!
Any R nominee can show the media and Americans he/she was born on US soil to 2 USA citizen parentS (with verifiable proofs) and ask aka to answer the same questions with verifiable proofs!

[lquist1]

“I support Santorum, but I believe Perry is going to win Iowa. “

I’ll take either of the two Ricks over Romney/Paul/Gingrich. I hope one of those two comes in as the darkhorse and wins Iowa. I only wish they (and Bachmann) could have gotten together and decided among themselves which was the best choice to carry the conservative flag. The way it is now, I’m afraid the vote may be split too many ways.

[normy]

We can't play on their playing field. Government needs to get out of the health care business and the individual mandate was a very large problem.

Let's not move the goal posts here.

[Diogenesis]

Romney CANNOT beat the Imama, which is WHY he is a candidate.

[Diogenesis]

Romney is not eligible, which is WHY he is a candidate.

[Fresh Wind]

If one cant be on both sides of an issue they shouldnt be in politics

Snicker. That would make a great tagline!

[normy]

Gingrich is just as bad as Romney. They have major problems thinking the Federal Government has solutions to America's problems.

Perry is the only one convincingly saying the answer is to get government out of the way.

I know Perry is holding a healthcare Ace waiting for the right time to play it. My guess it will be after Iowa and it will destroy all argument for government mandates or universal healthcare.

Perry is playing this game very well and his momentum coming out of Iowa will change the race.

It will be Perry and Mitt.

[BfloGuy]

It’s no secret that Gingrich was for an individual mandate back in 2005-2006—this was originally a conservative idea back then.

Many conservatives approved of it, but it was never a conservative idea.

[dforest]

Oh well, all of this is like comparing two pieces of rotten fruit.

Both are rotten, and I can’t see wasting the energy on which piece of fruit is more rotten.

All this appearance that we are actually going to get a contest is merely to amuse us while leading us to believe the process isn’t really as rotten as the fruit.

[SunkenCiv]

Romney WROTE Romney's Health Plan

thanks Steelfish.

[normy]

I suspect you were say "it's Cain or Willard or Obama. Choose wisely" just a little over a month ago.

Newt is dropping badly in Iowa right now and Nationally he's leveled off.

Both Newt and Romney think the answers come from DC and to be honest, if you think Newt can beat Obama your blind.

Think about how the fact that the possible first lady was having an affair with the possible President while he was married to the woman he was sleeping around with on his first wife with. How will that be used to beat down the base's enthusiasm. We need to energize the base with solid ideas and game changing record. Not achievements that are 15 years old with dozens of moderate to liberal positions since then. Newt is a terrible candidate to beat Obama.

[normy]

What is interesting about your post is the fluctuation. It’s similar to this election although not as dramatic. The media and the RNC are trying to create a panic before things shake out.

[normy]

Obama's ability to communicate came from giving soaring speeches from a teleprompter and delivering it well. Newt doesn't do that at all. Romney flusters him just like Perry flusters Romney.

The mandate is a HUGE problem with the healthcare bill and the whole damn thing needs to be done away with. If you and Newt don't think the Federal Government telling private citizens they must have X or Y or be fined is a major freaking problem, then you may be on the wrong site.

Conservatives don't do Federal overreach. We need to be cutting Federal power, not making excuses for expanding it.

[normy]

I am amazed at how quickly people forget how this election thing works. It's not about Obama's faults, it's always someone elses fault anyway. It's about driving down the vote.

Newt is almost exactly like McCain. The old warhorse who became more liberal the longer he stayed in Washington. One from Arizona but really from Washington now and the other from Georgia but really from Washington now.

McCain and Newt are the same except Newt trades the McCain war hero story for the "intellectual historian" mantle.

[sodpoodle]

Fox now making a huge deal on “Newt Notes” recovered from Wayback site.

He apparently was endorsing a type of insurance mandate so that people would be RESPONSIBLE TO PAY THEIR MEDICAL COSTS. This is a far cry from putting the Federal Government in control of the entire medical industry - from bandages to heart transplants.

Sadly, there are citizens who will pay $200 for sneakers - tattoes, manicures and other frivolous decorative items; but believe it is the taxpayers’ responsibility to pay for their hospital and doctors’ services.

Hospitals and doctors have to take liens against property??

[NKP_Vet]

This article starts off with a lie. Newt Gingrich has not
“denounced” Romney in any way shape or form during the debates. He’s left that up to Perry and Bachmann. Newt has said he does not believe there is anywhere in the Constitution that provides for healthcare. It’s an individual responibility. The statesman Newt Gingrich has made it a point to go after Obama, not other GOP candidates. The others should follow his example.