How Romney Pushed State Health Bill

Unearthed Emails: Romney Deeply Involved In Pushing For Individual Mandate

When Mitt Romney left office as Massachusetts governor, his aides removed all emails from a server computer in the governor's office, and purchased and carted off hard drives from 17 state-owned personal computers, according to a current state official.

But a small cache of emails survived, including some that have never publicly surfaced surrounding Mr. Romney's efforts to pass his now-controversial health-care law. The emails show the Republican governor was closely engaged in negotiating details of the bill, working with top Democratic state leaders and drafting early copies of opinion articles backing it.

Mr. Romney and his aides, meanwhile, strongly defended the so-called individual mandate, a requirement that everyone in Massachusetts have or buy heath insurance. And they privately discussed ideas that might be anathema to today's GOP—including publicly shaming companies that didn't provide enough health insurance to employees.

Through a public-records request, The Wall Street Journal obtained what is believed to be the most complete set of the internal emails to date, including attachments to some of the messages.

Mr. Romney once trumpeted the overhaul as his signature achievement as governor, but he has since played it down amid GOP attacks on the 2010 federal health-care bill signed by President Barack Obama, which bears similarities to the Massachusetts plan. Both contain individual mandates that require residents to buy health insurance.

Mr. Romney today defends the Massachusetts plan as a state initiative, while attacking what he calls "ObamaCare" as an unjustified federal takeover of the health-care system. Many Republicans oppose the individual mandate as unconstitutional, and the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this month on that issue.

A spokeswoman for the Romney campaign declined to comment on the emails.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 54714.html

Ooopsie... Gov Etch-a-Sketch keeps trying to cover up and deny that he had anything to do with the "individual mandate", and in spite of their best efforts to hide the servers, hard drives, and the email history, the truth comes out...

Dang. But just wait a few hours...(It will take that long for the Romney machine to decide how to craft the spin message on the flip-flop...) Isn't that great? Then all of the Kool-Aid drinkers here will know what to copy-and-paste to deflect.

Yup, one of Romney's negatives... still has more positives than your flip flopper.

So LJ, since it appears you have found that Romney once liked the individual mandate, does that mean you are going to vote for him now, since you like the individual mandate?

We conservatives already don't like the healthcare history of Romney...this is nothing new to us. The point is, Obama has done such a horrible job, he doesn't deserve a 2nd term. Romney, even with his faults, is vastly superior to the incumbent who has proven he has no ability to lead.

:LOL:

I wouldn't vote for Romney if he was the only thing running... But I love how the hypocrites can overlook the daily flip-flops because he has an (R) after his name, (after they went so bat-crazy in the last election over the slightest flip-flop...)

Deflect much?

LadyJazzer wrote: :LOL:

I wouldn't vote for Romney if he was the only thing running... But I love how the hypocrites can overlook the daily flip-flops because he has an (R) after his name, (after they went so bat-crazy in the last election over the slightest flip-flop...)

Deflect much?

No deflection here. My point is, Obama has been horrible. Romney, with his faults, will almost certainly be better (it would be difficult for him to be worse). Your party made a huge mistake by not bringing in Hillary as a primary challenger. Then, at least you would have someone who has a clue on the ticket. In fact, I think Hillary would have won easily. Obama...I'm not so sure anymore. He continues to fumble around regarding the economy, and has yet to show any leadership.

In your opinion...

And so far, Romney has shown "leadership" how?....

By flip-flopping on gun-control issues?

By flip-flopping (and trying to hide his actions) in health-care and individual mandates?

By flip-flopping on LBGT rights?

By flip-flopping on women's right to choose?

By taking Massachusetts from 36th to 47th in jobs?

By not having the guts to stand up against bat-sh*t-crazy nuts that make comments about Obama being an "Arab"?...A "Kenyan"?... A Muslim? ...

If Romney had any guts and leadership, it would be because it was rented from "Rent-a-Backbone"...(at a cost of millions...but since that's not a problem for him, it wouldn't be problem...)

Newt Gingrich & other Republicans were pushing for individual mandates long before Obama was in the Illinois statehouse. It is hypocritical of them to deny it now. The only way for Obamacare or Romneycare to succeed in its present form is with the mandate.

FredHayek wrote: Newt Gingrich & other Republicans were pushing for individual mandates long before Obama was in the Illinois statehouse. It is hypocritical of them to deny it now. The only way for Obamacare or Romneycare to succeed in its present form is with the mandate.

Why do you think they are denying it now?

archer wrote:

FredHayek wrote: Newt Gingrich & other Republicans were pushing for individual mandates long before Obama was in the Illinois statehouse. It is hypocritical of them to deny it now. The only way for Obamacare or Romneycare to succeed in its present form is with the mandate.

Why do you think they are denying it now?

They are hoping Americans have short memories?
Personally I am for the individual mandate. the larger pool of insured people you have, the less the cost of insurance usually. It is a dramatic loss of personal liberty, but so are a lot of other rulings like the War on Terror and Drugs.