We were just forwarded a video clip of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaking informally at an Aurora bar last June. This video has never been seen publicly before, and it could shake up the national debate considerably over what Romney would do with health care policy as President–a debate driven by unanswered questions.
First of all, here’s what Romney is saying about health care today, via Bloomberg:
Mitt Romney vows he’ll extend health insurance to people with pre-existing medical conditions, a pledge that comes with few details and strings attached.
The Republican presidential nominee says he would shield workers with coverage from being dropped if they change jobs. Romney’s plan doesn’t explain what it would do for many others, such as those with ailments seeking health coverage for the first time…
“It’s a complete mystery what he’s talking about,” said Joe Antos, a health-care economist at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington policy group. “He’s clearly asserting that he’s got a new policy, but he hasn’t said what it is.”
Well, according to Romney himself in 2011, the “new policy” on health care is…wait ten years!
ROMNEY: We have to change our setting to get a more market-driven health care sector. And if we do that, I’m convinced that we’ll find ourselves bringing the cost of health care down. But that’s not going to happen, by me or anybody else putting in place a new federal program to take over health care. The right answer is to let states craft their own solutions, give them the freedom to do so, we’ll try different ideas in different states, and then, maybe after ten years, we’ll figure out which one’s working best. [Pols emphasis]
But the right answer is not Obamacare or a federal takeover…
So, those of you out there with pre-existing conditions who may have been reassured by Mitt Romney’s recent promises to make sure Americans with pre-existing conditions can get covered, please remember that according to this video clip of Romney speaking candidly right here in Colorado, he’s talking about a hypothetical situation ten years from now.
Depending on the seriousness of your pre-existing condition, you might well be dead by then.
But don’t you feel better now that you’ve finally been given a straight answer?
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Give health care back to the states. Give us freedom to choose our own path on health care.
This isn’t an “exclusive,” it’s a great and concise version of Mitt’s plan. No federal health care takeovers. No mandates. Freedom and competition to bring costs down.
Thank you, Pols, for helping the American people get to know our next President.
I think everyone should get to know Mitt Romney. Like, really, really well.
….get me some of that excellent Rmoney care! (Which, apparently, after all the gnashing of teeth like is now on the national level, MA residents are pretty damned pleased with it.)
You are just a fool…and a tool. We’ve had half a century of “Freedom and competition,” and look what a fine mess you got us in, Ollie.
“Freedom and competition” hasn’t worked, if ever, in decades. Health care isn’t shopping for the best deal in apples.
But this video doesn’t say anything that will hurt Mitt’s election chances.
Romney is betting that the American people are not smart enough to remember anything he’s said before noon on any given day. I am more optimistic.
Governor Romney is counting on everyone remembering.
He wants everyone to remember that time he said that thing they agree with. And then achieve full cognitive dissonance harmonization by concluding that nor matter whatever contradictory thing he also said, that what he really meant was that thing they agree with.
It’s brilliant. Evil and twisted – brilliant.
By my counting, that should be Day 730 of the Jeb Bush Administration.
of Hilary’s second term. Of course, that’s all revisionist future stuff, since ObamaCare will not be repealed by Obama.
Republicans couldn’t come up with a “new plan” for anything in 10 years, much less something as complicated as comprehensive healthcare reform.
First they gotta prioritize: Which comes first, ObamaCare “replacement”? FBI pregnancy monitoring? Tax elimination deficit reduction? Top 2% job creation? US flotillas in every deep draft port in the world? Muslim genocide?
Sorry, Republicans’ wish plate is sort of full, and as Ryan demonstrates they can’t even solve one thing at once.
Assuming that Romney gets elected and re-elected, he won’t have to deal with any of the resulting health care mess in ten years. Off the hook!
Just kicking the can down the road. Like solving the Israel/Palestine problem.
Like coming up with any effing domestic plan — that he’s brave enough to share with the American electorate.
Romney’s the most cowardly candidate we’ve ever witnessed.
States have had, oh, about 200+ years to come up with a plan. And so far, we have one state that came up with a plan that worked. And Obama based the national plan on the plan.
Romney is such a pure liar that I think he’s desensitized the world to everything but his most shocking lies.
He’s a very sad statement about American politics.
My summary: Ryan/Romney want to be right! Obama/Biden work to do right! As a woman, I loved that Biden said he would not impose his beliefs on the decisions that are between a woman and her doctor. Interesting how the Republicans keep shouting, “get your hands off our guns” and then are all up in a women’s uterus. Conservatives application of the US Constitution is obviously conditional.
How does anyone know who Mitt is, or what he stands for? Voting for him would be the equivalent of going to an auction and buying a brown paper bag “full of goodies” from a stranger. Or, to use another language, buying a ‘pig in a poke’
No promise at all what is in the bag. He will let you open it, after he is elected. No knowledge of what he will do with health care, nor the economy, etc. etc.
Let’s have lunch when I get back to Colorado…sometime aroud Nov. 1.
Just sayin’.