-
SEQUESTER: The Horror!
March 1, 2013 | 4 comments
-
SOTU Preview: Human Props, Budget Fights, and Wedge Issues
February 12, 2013 | 0 comments
-
Hello, I Must Be Going
August 14, 2012 | 18 comments
-
Weekend Political Wrap-Up, Paul Ryan Edition
August 12, 2012 | 16 comments
-
Esquire Blogger Sees Paul Ryan, Shreds His Safety Net
August 11, 2012 | 13 comments
The Spectacle Blog
At the risk of beating a dead horse, there are two other items from Ann Coulter’s pro-Romneycare column that require a response. Coulter contends, “What went wrong with Romneycare wasn’t a problem in the bill, but a problem in Massachusetts: Democrats.”
We heard a version of this argument when Congress passed the Medicare prescription drug benefit under George W. Bush — the original Bush proposal was better than the final product. But in both cases, Bush and Romney decided to sign the finished product into law with great fanfare. They both accepted credit for the programs as major legislative accomplishments. You can’t take credit for these bills without accepting the blame too.
In the case of Romneycare, while it is true that the Democrats pushed some details to the left, the basic architecture of the plan — mandates, subsidies, government-run exchanges, and expanded Medicaid — were all in the original proposal backed by the governor. The final product didn’t differ in kind from Romney’s proposal, though it did to some extent by degree. And Romney had already decided not to run for reelection, thus leaving the plan’s implementation totally up to Democrats.
“Romney, incidentally, has always said his plan would be a bad idea nationally,” Coulter writes. But that’s not entirely clear from his repeated references to the Massachusetts plan as a national model. Romney also predicted, erroneously, that most states in the nation would end up with his mandate-driven approach. Jonathan Gruber, a liberal scholar who helped design both Romneycare and Obamacare, favored federal mandates. The Heritage scholars Coulter cites were originally supporters of the federal mandate. (Many of them have renounced their support; see this op-ed from the oft-Coulter-quoted Bob Moffit who called “operationally ineffective and legally defective.”
The point here isn’t to vilify Coulter, a fine columnist, or even Romney. Romney should be defended from attacks from his left. The point is avoid consolidating liberal policy gains by a.) engaging in revisionist history to let our favorite Republican co-conspirators off the hook, b.) making arguments that will make the reversal of those gains much more difficult, and c.) turning serious constitutional and policy differences into partisan squabbling.
View all comments (19) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/02/02/romneycare-is-the-democrats-fa
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
The Spectacle Blog
Former IRS Commissioner Refused to Say That Targeting Conservative Groups is Wrong
Benjamin Brophy | 2:27PM
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Bill| 2.2.12 @ 3:06PM
Romney enacted Romneycare in MA, and helped craft Obamacare. When Romney said, 'I'll repeal Obamacare." I don't believe him a dime. He won't repeal it because Romney is a "New England big-government liberal RINO." He is no conservative. FL made a "FATAL" mistake. Thanks to SC, the state that revolted against tyranny in 1861.
Oldefarte| 2.2.12 @ 3:22PM
The PROBLEM with either Romneycare or Obama/Democrats-Welfarecare is within the suffix of the latter, in that it essentially GOVERNMENTAL WELFARE. The latter is part of Obama's/Democrats' WEALTH REDISTRIBUTIONAL agenda since it effectively transfers governmental medical coverage away from Medicare to Obama's/Democrats' program [and it stole $500 billion from Medicare to fund Obama's in the process]. Seniors etc now on Medicare mostly PAID FOR essentially their received benefits by their lifetime of payroll etc contributions required and the inability to collect Medicare benefits until reaching the age of 65+. Obama's/Democrats' program initiates governmental medical care benefits to any age beneficiary exclusive of any requirement to pay into this system and to be ineligible until 65+. Obama's/Democrats' program is essentially transferring governmental medical coverage benefits from seniors [who again EARNED their coverage of Medicare] to snot-nosed indigent drug users etc [who HAVE NOT EARNED their coverage of Obama's/Democrats' program]. And why do you say Obama/Democrats legislated such a governmental medical insurange changeover? Simple, so that they could obtain the votes for Democrats at election times as the providers of benefits to this snot-nosed class. Once again folks ......IT'S THE DEMOCRATS, STUPIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nite| 2.2.12 @ 7:18PM
I agree with you. The part for denial of care for Seniors has already gone into effect. If you are over age 70, instead of a pacemaker (if you need it) you will be given "comfort care". The Independent Payment Advisory Board reports to Obama and not Congress. There is no telling what is in those thousands of regulations written by that horrible recess appointment Donald Berwick. We are about to start finding out.
Clint| 2.2.12 @ 8:29PM
Nah, It's Your RINO-CINO Phoney Conservative Romney
We Are Being Set Up By These RINO-CINO Flunkie Stooges For The Ruling Elites' Frontman Mittens Romney.
These Are The RINO-CINO Flunkie Stooges Who Gave Us The Serial Traitor To Conservatism, John McCain Of McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy,McCain-Lieberman,Gang Of 14, Opposing Bush Tax Cuts Of 2001 & 2003,TARP.
Now They Are Trying To Give Us RomneyCare,TARP, Cynical Flip-Flops On Abortion, Gays, Refuses to Sign Pro-Life Pledge, Illegal Immigrants, "Little Chain Saw Al" At Bain, Crony Capitalism Campaign Money Trail.....
The Tea Party Rebellion Heads To Nevada & Maine.
Dai Alanye | 2.2.12 @ 10:03PM
Clint is so tiresome I'm actually missing "chickenhawk."
Oldefarte| 2.3.12 @ 12:50AM
Don't worry....Ronnie will get the 'SNOT-NOSE' vote for sure!!!!!!!!!!
Oldefarte| 2.3.12 @ 12:58AM
Shazam, 'wild horses' and to an audience of 300; wow, golly, gadzooks; maybe he could do something about those pesky indigent car windshield washers with squeegies in NYC also huh?:
'....Paul: States Should Resolve Land Management ....Thursday, February 2, 2012 11:04 PM...Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is railing against the federal government's influence in the West, saying that states are in the best position to resolve conflicts over the management of wild horses and roads on public lands.About 300 people turned out Thursday to see Paul at an Elko, Nevada, rally ahead of Saturday's presidential caucus. As many or more gathered to see him Thursday night at a rally in Reno.The Texas congressman says that, although he's unsure of the solution to the wild horse problem in Nevada and other Western states, federal land managers should be the last resort to resolve the issue.Paul says the U.S. Forest Service should not be imposing travel management plans on public land in Nevada and elsewhere across the West....'
Pete| 2.3.12 @ 8:45AM
Funny how when Republicans lead up further into socialism they blame the Democrats.
Now tell me, why is Romney running as someone who can work with the Democrats?
kingsmill| 2.2.12 @ 4:13PM
Willard needed something, anything to run on in 2008. His record as governor was poor. He followed his liberal instincts and couldn't care less about the ultimate consequences.
aware| 2.2.12 @ 7:20PM
Coulter's "defense" is a perfect example of how "conservatives" end up defending, protecting, and growing the State in spite of all the claims of "small government" and "constitution".
You guys just can't be convinced that the State is THE threat and when it gets bigger, so does the threat. No matter who does the adding. If you could just be consistent in rejecting all big government, instead of just "their" big government.
RJ| 2.2.12 @ 7:20PM
Mr. Romney does not understand the Second Law of Politics, which is any social engineering government program, no matter how pristine in its formation, will be screwed up by government in a short period of time and you are left with a much bigger, intractable problem than what you started out with. Reagan understood this; Romney and other accommodating Republicans are clueless.
PCP Smoker| 2.2.12 @ 8:32PM
You are late to this party. Mark Levin took that dumb (skinny) broad to school during yesterday's show. Matter of fact, it sounds as if you were taking notes. Next time, acknowledge Levin, Esq for creating your blog posts. Asshole.
Quartermaster| 2.2.12 @ 9:04PM
PCP Smoker, you need to quit smoking the stuff. Did you have any thought in your head that most of us do not live to listen to talk radio. Not only do we have lives, we also have to go to work and can't listen because we don't have the bloody time to do it.
Romneycare is Mittens millstone. Deny the bad aspects all he likes, but it's his program because he signed it into law rather than laying down a veto with his reasons. He may have lost that battle, but it wouldn't be around his neck.
Mittens, however, signed it because he is in basic agreement with it and most likely thought changes could be made as the problems surfaced. Tennessee Tried that nonsense back under Ned Ray McWhorter, and Tenncare almost ate the state alive. Changes were made because if they hadn't made them, the state was going into the same hole that is now yawning for Mass. I doubt MassDims, however, have the brains of TennDims, who are no where near as stupid as their blue state cousins.
PCP Smoker| 2.2.12 @ 9:14PM
Quartermaster, what boat? West or East Coast? Nuc EM here, SNN710. I listen to Levin's podcasts while working, at the cubicle. His podcasts are free. Look into it. I agree with you on Mittens and Socialist Healthcare. My beef is with Angle, an apologist for John Boehner and upstanding member of the GOP Establishment. Levin covered these exact points, including the more substantial constitutional arguments against Romneycare. Antle should have given credit where it was due. Typical Rino. Peace, keep charting the course.
Ted| 2.3.12 @ 8:53AM
SSN-710 USS Augusta...
Thanks for the tip on Levin's podcasts.
Dai Alanye | 2.2.12 @ 10:09PM
The difficulty with Coulter's thesis that Democrats caused the Romneycare debacle is that it's not a Dem who's bragging about Romneycare but a putative Republican : Mitt Romney.
This is another reason I consider Mitt less likely to be elected. He should have realized months ago that defending Romneycare did himself more harm than good. The guy suffers from tin ear syndrome.
Ted| 2.3.12 @ 8:55AM
A Romney nomination likley = Obama's re-election. The spin machine will eat Mittens alive, partially because Mittens has shown an inability to spin well and partially because the things he needs to spin can't really be spun (think Romney Care).