Sunday, November 7, 2010

Obama compares his health care plan to Romney's on '60 Minutes.' "Wasn't that different...." Update: Video added

President Obama sat down with Steve Kroft from 60 Minutes Sunday night to discuss the political earthquake that occurred on Tuesday. Not surprisingly, ObamaCare was discussed as a source of voter discontent. The President acknowledged the political consequences of ramming the government takeover of health care down our throats. However, in a likely preview of what is to come should Mitt Romney win the GOP nomination, he drew comparisons between his health care legislation and the one conceived and enacted by the former Governor of Massachusetts.

Politico reports:
[...]

Obama sought in the interview to explain many of his policy efforts as necessary but unpopular medicine needed to address the sharp economic downturn, but he acknowledged that one major contributor to the “big government Obama” narrative—the health care reform law—was something he could have deferred.

“At the time, we knew that it probably wasn’t great politics,” Obama said. “I made the decision to go ahead and do it and it proved as costly politically, as we expected. Probably actually a little more costly than we expected, politically,” he added.

In a hint of a possible storyline in the upcoming 2012 presidential campaign, Obama said the health care plan he backed was specifically designed to mirror those proposed in the past by Republicans, including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, whom Obama suggested is making another bid for the White House.

“We thought that if we shaped a bill that wasn’t that different from bills that had previously been introduced by Republicans, including a Republican Governor in Massachusetts who’s now running for president, we would be able to find some common ground there. And we just couldn’t,” Obama said.

[...]
Unfortunately, ObamaCare will be off the table as an issue if Romney is the nominee in 2012. For many Romney detractors, the problem is two-fold. Not only do we want to take back the White House in 2012, but we want the full repeal of ObamaCare to be a prominent issue in the campaign. Any health care related attacks on the President would immediately be shot down with a response similar to the one he gave tonight. And to make matters worse, Romney is now on record acknowledging the many "similarities" between his plan and the President's. I suspect that the GOP primary voters will be reminded of this on a regular basis in the not so distant future.

Read the entire article HERE.

Update:

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Obama Care will not be off the table if Romney is the nominee. Who better to attack a nationalized health care program than Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney fought against Hillary care and said the states should have the right to choose their own health care solutions. Obama took that right away. Mass care is proof that states can come up with their own solutions.

Romney is the right candidate to lead us in our quest to repeal health care.

Anonymous said...

The Truth Behind The Costs Of RomneyCare

Anonymous said...

The Truth Behind RomneyCare

Anonymous said...

Everyone should read the link above. It's like, Understanding Romneycare for DUMMIES. A must read for Palin supporters.

C4PH (Conservatives For Paris Hilton)

Anonymous said...

I have read the link above, but it still does not change the reality on the ground. Yes, MA has the right to do what they want in that own state, but as an Ohioan, I want nothing to do with mandates. They fact that MAcare is not as bad as ObamaCare is only limited consolation. That does not bring my Aunt (and countless other people back to life.) Once upon a time Europe and Canada were not as Socialistic with regards to health care, but they started a slippery slope and now it is a mess.

I am just grateful to GOD that I had to take my wife for medical attention in the United States before ObamaCare came to be so. ObamaCare was the third strike. I have no regret about coming to America and becoming a citizen, but I now fear that my new country is now turning into a Banana Republic like much of the rest of the world. Among other things, I blame MAcare for getting the ball rolling. Mandate were the first step in taking away our freedom. If hypothetically we had a mild version of MAcare on the Federal level and so worse, that would be tolerable, but these things never stay limited once the door is open. Income tax was suppose to be temporary and TARP was only suppose to a moderate program. Similarly, MAcare was suppose to be a little State program on the state level, now we have it on a national level on steroids.

Now I am suppose to forgive Mr. Romney and the people of MA for giving Mr. Obama and the Dems the political cover for destroying our whole country on a national level? To be blunt, I find this rather difficult to do. Further, as of today if the two main choices in 2012 are Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney I would probably vote for a third party. Why should I give them yet another chance to turn the country into a Banana Republic? I am in no such mood.

I just wish that American politicians would have visited Romania and Bulgaria to name a few country before they started fooling with an imperfect system, but was the best in the world.


OHIO JOE

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJewSrTXUIg&feature=channel

Obama Care - Mass Care = 49 STATES

Right Wingnut said...

They are discussing this on Fox and Friends right now. They played the clip...

Anonymous said...

This, coupled with Palin's attack on Bernanke. bye bye Mitt!

Tracey said...

Ohio Joe

How did you pay for your wife's medical bills Ohio Joe? Did you receive free service? Do you know that in Ohio today that people in need of medical service without insurance can get medical service for free by showing up at the emergency room? This cost is past to the state. The price is high and it just keeps going up as the people without insurance grows.

Mitt Romney was faced with the high cost of emergency room care and a voting public that were inclined to support Hillary Care.
Mitt Romney fought hard to convince the voters of Mass. that they did not need to support Hillary Care and then he fought hard to bring a MARKET BASED SYSTEM OF HEALTHCARE TO MASS. He embraced a solution that at the time was accepted by the republican establishment as a far more CONSERVATIVE option to Hillary Care.

Obama would have done what he did with or without the existence of Mass Care. Universal medicine is and has been part to the democratic agenda for years now. This has just presented Obama with the unique opportunity to take out his greatest political threat, Mitt Romney by comparing Obama care to Mass Care. There may be similarities but the are great differences.

Mitt Romney would never, never force Mass Care down our throats. He knows that it is unconstitutional to take away states rights.

All that being said, we will work to repeal Obama Care but we must also work to find solutions to the rising health care cost in America. There are solutions. There are things that could be done at a federal level to facilitate states efforts to control cost. Mitt Romney knows what those things are and has written about them in his book, NO APOLOGIES. And above all else, he knows that states need to be allowed to create their own health care programs as it is not a one size fits all solution.

Anonymous said...

"How did you pay for your wife's medical bills Ohio Joe?" The vast majority was paid for by our private insurance company that I was able to buy through my employer (private sector.) I paid for plane tickets, hotel lodging and so forth because we had to travel several states away to see a specialist. Yes, it cost us a bit of money, but at least we were able to do it. In many countries, there are not as many specialists; Mr. Obama is content to make America like this. Also, whenever I take my wife or children to the local emergency (which is seldom) I pay the co-pay. It is in Socialized countries where people go the emergency room for fun (so to speak.)

With respect, while MAcare had a lot of free markets aspects, it also allows for mandates and it was just a matter of time before costs would rise. It is my firm belief that MAcare gave Mr. Obama the political cover he needed. At our local Town Hall meeting, the Bussed in Union thugs used the same talking points as was used in defending MAcare. They told us local TV station 'oh look, it is OK in Massachusetts.'

Yes, costs are already high in America, but that is in part because Americans do not lead health lives and eat junk. Also the Lawyer to do not help matter. To top it off, medical technology and research is not cheap. At least in America we have such technology; the rest of the world is not as technologically advanced as America with regards to health care. Why do you think many doctors come to America? They will no longer come here after Mr. Obama is finished mucking things up.

OHIO JOE

Tracey said...

So Ohio Joe,

What do you suggest we do to fix our current system? Don't you believe that states should have the right to try to fix a system that is too costly?

Do you understand why GMR instituted the mandate which btw was did not go against the Mass. State Constitution? He viewed it as the ultimate conservative approach. He saw it a solution to stop freeloaders; you know those people that do not manage their resources in a responsible manner and in turn force others to take on their medical cost.

And why didn't you just tell those Union thugs that what works in Mass. will not work in Ohio?

Why didn't you just tell those Union thugs that the states should have the right to choose?

We have lots of issues regarding our health care and they need to be addressed and I applaud Mitt Romney for addressing the health care issues in Mass. and doing it within the framework of the Mass. State Constitution.

Belvedere Designs said...

Obama and his ilk have never compared their health care bill so aggressively to Romney's until now. And a real comparison stacks up like the one here:

http://www.evangelicalsformitt.org/front_page/four_hugely_important_differen_1.php

Romney even said during the 2008 debates that the succeeding government in MA made changes to the program that he would have vetoed.

BOSMAN said...

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzZZZZZ........zzZ...

Sapwolf said...

Mitt is slowly imploding as he sits back at headquarters while Sarah Palin fights doggedly and effectively against the Obama/Pelosi/Reid axis.

Her determination, hard-work, courage and initiative are showing the country that she is the leader of the opposition.

Romney is finished. He just doesn't know it yet.

The GOP Establishment will quietly back another anti-Palin candidate like Thune or Daniels.

Mitt is toast.

Anonymous said...

Sapwolf

Dream on...

Anonymous said...

SAPP,

"Romney is finished. He just doesn't know it yet."

=====

Neither do those people who keep voting for him in the national polls. You know, the polls that Palin comeing in 3rd or 4th in.

zeke

Right Wingnut said...

You guys have completely missed the point. I don't care about the subtle differences between the plans, and neither will the American people if Obama is given political cover for ObamaCare--which is exactly what will happen if Romney is the nominee. The only argument that bears any weight is the state's rights issue. I agree that's a biggie, but Romney still ushered in government run health care. The long knives are beginning to come out--see Rick Perry's remarks from yesterday.

From Politico:


“The health care plan out of Massachusetts, I would suggest to you, is too much the like the health care plan passed out of Washington,” Perry said, succinctly voicing one of the chief difficulties former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney faces in the upcoming GOP primary.


The "Cocktail Party" Republicans are scrambling to find a viable replacement for Romney, hence the floating of names such as Daniels, Thune, and Jeb Bush. I seriously doubt many in the party want to spend a full year explaining the differences between the plans. In fact, Mitt does not want to either. The fact remains--this is a serious problem for Mitt Romney. I know it, the "Cocktail Party" knows it, and deep, deep down....YOU know it.

carlo said...

Still beating this dead horse!
When Romney is the nominee, I hope you republicans support his state's rights to pass that plan in MA with the same fervor that you try and condemn him now

Revolution 2012 said...

carlo,

Amen!

yonninkodomo said...

States have different constitutional rights than the federal government. A mandate MAY be legal in a state, but it is not legal for the entire USA.

I am tired of some people complaining about "mandates." I don't like being mandated to pay for people's healthcare who chose to exercise their "freedom" and didn't purchase insurance. Now, I know the idea is to protect the poor, but I personally know people who could afford insurance but choose to take trips to Hawaii instead. If they get sick, I don't want to pay for it. Neither do I think it's appropriate to guarantee that to people who have been unwise. We MUST find some way to deal with this problem. A mandate to buy personal insurance sucks, but I think it sucks slightly less than mandating that all of your neighbors should pay for your personal irresponsibility.