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The Spectacle Blog

Parsing Obamacare and Romneycare, Again

By W. James Antle, III on 2.28.12 @ 1:40PM

Responding to an Ezra Klein blog post noting citing relatively good Massachusetts news in defense of Obamacare, Douglas Holtz-Eakin finds himself in the same predicament as everyone else who tries to argue there is some yawning gap between Romneycare and Obamacare.

“Yes, Massachusetts re-directed existing health spending to expand coverage,” Holtz-Eakin writes. This is like saying the military redirected some people to France on D Day. Massachusetts imposed an individual mandate requiring people to buy health insurance, set up government-run exchanges through which they can purchase such insurance, offered subsidies, and expanded Medicaid. This is also the basic framework of Obamacare. Most of the differences Holtz-Eakin later cites have to do with the chicanery required to get Obamacare through the reconciliation process (not relevant to Massachusetts) and the vagueries of the federal government. And as monstrous as IPAB is, it is a theoretical cost control mechanism that Romneycare lacks.

Holtz-Eakin then says, in effect, that if you don’t believe him when he says Romneycare and Obamacare are different, Romneycare isn’t working either. The numbers he cites about the cost curve are important. Peter Suderman also gives us reasons to doubt that the recent Bay State news is as good as it looks. But wouldn’t it be easier to say that the architecture of Obamacare is failing in Massachusetts, which had a low percentage of uninsured residents to start with, than to try to engage in this parsing?

martin j smith| 2.28.12 @ 2:40PM

Sorry Sir but this is a lot of huey. Romney must say that he regrets having Romney Care on his resume because he realizes that voters will see that as a negative because no matter how you slice it it sounds too much like Obama Care and that is a gigantic NO NO

Beppo| 3.1.12 @ 8:16AM

Who the heck does Holtz Eakin think he's kidding. The guy at MIT who worked with Romney and then Obama to develop these plans says they're the same in essentials. With Romney as the nominee Obama is completely immunised on the Obamacare issue. As it happens I don't think it's going to be that big an issue but to the extent it is Romney is dead in the water on this.

emolson| 3.8.12 @ 2:41AM

Have you read RomneyCare or ObamaCare? They are vastly different. The citizens of Mass wanted RomneyCare and so the governor is required to do as the majority of his citizens want..that is a sign of a good leader. The majority of Americans, including MASS did not want Obamacare and Obama just tricked it in anyway. RomneyCare did not increase taxes and in fact it didn't cost the govt anything to give the additional alternative as the people think they needed. Obamacare is a tax and that is why the IRS officiates it. The people of MASS still like RomneyCare and still want it. If the states want to do something like this because the majority of people desire it..that is the states right. As a governor you are to do as your citizenship directs. As president, Obama, should do as his majority citizenship directs. Romney was a successful governor despite it being primarily dems. He knows how to rebuild bankrupted companies which describes America right now. He has high character, which is rare these days. He does what his citizenship wants..which is what we are to have and do not right now. You should read both bills...a 12 page bill vs a 2000 page piece of legislative laws, costs, taxes, and regs are two very different things and when you read them, you can see that for yourself instead of taking the opinions of others who also haven't read them. Even if it was a 2000 page law qualifying as a tax hike, which romneycare isn't, his citizens voted and wanted romneycare in place for the needs they saw they needed and so it should be put into place no matter what someone else in another state thinks. A governor isn't a senator judged on his voting record. He runs a mini fed govt with dems and repubs, congress, laws, the whole thing..just like the federal govt. Romney has been trained in working with this type of govt and the people there still like him when last polled and still like RomneyCare. If the people didn't want RomneyCare, it would not have been in place. Don't be ignorant...look up the data and look at the real issues. Character, leadership, success in both areas and track record of doing as the people want in govt offices. Romney has all that and Obama will not be able to stand against him. That is why he has been investigating and talking against Romney since 2008. Romney is the only current nominee that he is referring to in his speeches. He is afraid of Romney because how will he defend against him. He is more successful in business and in rebuilding bankrupted companies like Staples and in private sector jobs. He is more successful in his ethics and honesty than Obama. He does what his people hire him to do and he did Romneycare without it costing the govt any money and the people like it and still want it and like him even after he has left office. People have real issues with Obama's honesty and track record and his programs, when he had the majority in both houses--getting eveyrthing through he wanted, have all failed terribly. Obama forced Obamacare on everyone and it is proven to be a job killer...Romney care did not do that and was not forced on anyone. The govt is run by the people not a man or a congress. If it isn't working it is the people's fault not the govt. Romney has proven he can run a govt and run it in a way that represents the majority of his citizenship, Obama cannot claim this. Read the laws, and focus on the real issues and don't believe all the hype out there..which Obama is really behind. He contributed to the superpac which supported Newt and ran down romney..you can look that up...it is the same company stated at the end that he gave 40 million dollars to and he has no ads on himself. They were all against Romney and for newt...a way for him to trash romney before the nomination is even made...look it up.

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