2006: Mitt Romney Heaped Praise on Romneycare ‘Parent’ Ted Kennedy
As Mother Jones author David Corn explained “The GOP front-runner is doing his best to sidestep the health care reform landmine. This video sure won’t help.” VIDEO: Mitt Heaps Praise on Romneycare “Parent” Ted Kennedy : It’s no secret that Mitt Romney has an albatross around his neck: Romneycare, the Massachusetts health care overhaul he enacted while governor of the Bay State. The plan, which included a mandate compelling state residents to obtain health insurance, was a model in part for President Barack Obama’s health care reform, which is much-despised by conservatives and Republican voters. So far, Romney has deftly navigated this potential land mine of a campaign issue. Defending his health care program, he has argued that it was significantly different from Obama’s measure—while calling for repeal of the Obama initiative. His foes in the GOP presidential primary have jabbed Romney for imposing a mandate on Massachusetts residents. But none of these blows have floored the candidate. That’s partly due to his opponents’ ineptitude. This Ted Kennedy love fest footage from the 2006 bill signing ceremony for the health care law is probably not what Romney wants GOP primary voters to have in mind when they enter a polling place or caucus meeting. When he has discussed his health care law on the presidential campaign trail—in 2007 and this past year—Romney has occasionally noted that it demonstrated his ability to work with the opposition, including the late Sen. Kennedy. But in these settings he doesn’t describe Kennedy as his “collaborator” whose work “behind the scenes” was “absolutely essential” for passage of the health care plan. Nor does he call Kennedy, whom Romney praised for winning crucial federal support for the Massachusetts bill, a “parent” of Romneycare. Read on…
2006: Mitt Romney Heaped Praise on Romneycare ‘Parent’ Ted Kennedy
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on October 14, 2011. Filed under