Romney says he accepts being linked to Obamacare

Thursday, September 20, 2012

MIAMI (AP) — Mitt Romney says it's a compliment to be called the grandfather of Obamacare, the health care law championed by President Barack Obama and scorned by Republicans — including Romney himself.

Obama has said the health care law Romney backed while governor of Massachusetts is the basis of the federal Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2010.

Speaking at a Univision forum Wednesday night, the Republican presidential nominee said that now and then Obama calls him the grandfather of Obamacare.

Romney said, "I don't think he meant that as a compliment, but I'll take it." He went on to defend the Massachusetts law but says it is wrong for the federal government to take that approach.

Grandfather or not, Romney has pledged to repeal Obamacare if elected president.

More like this story

spelchek 9 months ago

One problem, Romney didn't create nor pass Obamacare. Mr. Obama should be touting the new taxes Obamacare bestows on a middle class that he promised we would never see. Justice Roberts says Obamacare is constitutional because the penalty is indeed a tax. If we don't pay for a product, government is going to tax us because that's what Democrats crammed down our throats on Christmas Eve @ midnight. Ms. McCaskill voted for this 3,000 page monstrosity that she nor her elitist colleagues will ever have to abide by (they have Cadillac health plans and always will). Mr. Akin could eat all our first born but he's still getting my vote. By the way, this headline is kind of a slam on Obama. AP is slipping, they must be getting exhausted from having to keep Obama propped up 24/7.

MO4LIFE 9 months ago

Nope he just pushed for the feds to adopt it as the blueprint for Obamacare.

spelchek 9 months ago

Doesn't change the fact that Obamacare implements new federal taxes on the middle class, not Romneycare. Spin it all you want, you're just going to end up dizzy. Perhaps Romney pushed his Bain practices on the feds too? According to libs, Bain sent jobs overseas, made many Americans jobless, and certain people rich...just like the Obama administration.

MO4LIFE 9 months ago

It is Romney that tripled and quadrupled all state fees. Also made the law in MA that if you have a gun license you can register to vote no problem but if you just have a state issued ID you must present birth certificate. and social security card. Thats not a problem to anybody and the gun license fee quadrupled. So he claims he didn't raise taxes which technically he didn't! he just raised all state fees by a minimum of double and most of them at least tripled. Just an endaround to get the tax money he said he wouldn't get and if he is elected anybody that is poor or unemployed or on welfare will be homeless inside of two years. HE WANTS TO BRING BACK DEBTORS PRISON FOR HEAVENS SAKE AND THIS IS WHAT YOU PEOPLE WANT TO RUN OUR COUNTRY! JUST IN ITSELF. People hate having a black president so much they will shoot there nose off to spite thier face.

JCLifer 9 months ago

ObamaCare kicks in a little harder in January. Middle-class families are going to pay more in taxes because the cap for the cafeteria plan used to save money for paying medical bills and premiums is being restricted to just $2,500 next year. That is how Democrats operate- they stick in little fees and charges everywhere and take away the little protections and supports for poor and middle class families, and then tell everyone they are all for the middle class.

If you are a parent, you better start praying that your children all stay healthy and never get cancer or other serious diseases because ObamaCare is going to cause long waiting lists to see doctors, and the costs for advanced health care will have to be pre-approved by a government panel of IRS bureaucrats before you can even see the doctor. That will take 3-6 months if it is like waing for a tax refund from the IRS.

My family in Ontario hate their socialized health care. The waiting lists are so long to see specialists and get real treatment that they are forced to come to the US and pay for their treatment out of their pocket. The Canadian socialized health care system is great if you never get sick.

Sequoia 9 months ago

Lifer, you've been so wrong and unreliable on other things, I don't know why I should take your word for the Canadian health care system. You rarely know what you're talking about on here.

Certainly it can't be worse than our current system. If you or your kids get cancer, they can't work. If they can't work, they lose their job. If they lose their job, they lose their health insurance. If they lose their health insurance, they can't get covered again, even if they could afford it, because they'll be denied for a pre-existing condition.

Maybe some old dude won't be able to have everyone else pay for his futile, last-ditch, expensive treatment to add a few more days to his life (that's why your premiums are high now... because YOU pay for that). Well, big deal. Lots of basic health care for everyone is more important than ineffective gold-plated treatment for one guy. That one guy can still get treatment, but HE should have to pay for it, not every policyholder.

And I know a couple Canadians. One IS sick all the time. They get the care they need. So there.

JCLifer 9 months ago

Sequoia, you have not proven to have a whole lot of useful knowledge on this forum either. I suspect you have not traveled much out of Cole County since you seem to have such a narrow view of world affairs and how others live.

The Canadian system is a whole lot worse than our system. Other than the monthly cost of my health insurance, I get everything I need taken care of pronto, and I can choose most any doctor or hospital I want. One thing I have learned in life is that when things are horrible, they can always get worse. You think things are bad now, wait until ObamaCare gets implemented and you have to wait weeks or months to see a doctor. That test or surgery you want may take six months to be scheduled, if it is even approved at all.
I know several Candians. The folks I know live in rural areas and in large cities like Toronto and Montreal. They all have one thing in common- they hate their system when they get sick. They don't have a problem for immunzations or routine checkups by a nurse.

RobHunterJohnson 9 months ago

What happens top Romeny care in MA. , when Obama care kick acrooss the other 49 states. Rob

eileen10 9 months ago

I lived close to the Canadian border and talked to many people about their health care system. Your right Lifer. Most don't like it and several people told me how people die waiting to be seen by a specialist.

LuckNLove 9 months ago

Was that the weathly, middleclass or the poor Canadians who lived on the boarder who gave you this info? Cause I know a couple Canadians who liked the system...

JCLifer 9 months ago

Middle class working folks.

eileen10 9 months ago

Middleclass working people. I'm sure there are people who like it. I talked to people from Winnipeg but I of course didn"t talk to enough people to get a good assessment. I simply stated what I was told by a small number of people.

eileen10 9 months ago

Who wants us to have health care like Canada has?

Paroquet 9 months ago

Had a friend in Canada nearly die for want of dental work. Tooth went from needing to work to gone-bad to abscessed to putrescent and eventually involved him being hospitalized at death's door with a blood infection. All of that due to the length of wait for treatment.

3336 9 months ago

Who cares about Healthcare in Canada, we just need to concentrate on America. My insurance went up long before President Obama was even a Senator; during the Bush Administration. So, let's get a grifp on all this insurance talk. Also, whatever way things end up, you say you can pay, so pay and quit quarreling over the issue. Now go vote for who you want and make the best of your life. However, some people do have to worry about where their next, meal, clothes,utilities and all their needs will come from. I'm happy for all those who can make it, however I have empathy for those who can't. This is a cruel and selfish world we live in, no compassion for those trying to make it. Sometimes people need a hand up and I hope and pray nothing ever occurs in anyone's life that they would have to have help becaue the way it sounds from some of you they are out of luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!

eileen10 9 months ago

Another post that doesn"t make sense. I talked to about ten people.First I said many people but when I thought about it ten isn't a lot of people.

eileen10 9 months ago

3336 we get side tracked at times. I wish I knew everything about the changes we're to expect. The ones I do know about seem good, at least what concerns my own health care. Times are hard for a lot of people , myself included. I'm not below poverty level and I'm sure not rich. I get my bills paid but a vacation is out of the question. Medical bills take a pretty good chunk of my money but I noticed a drop in some of my bills when I see my doctors. And some procedures are now free. But there are people who have huge medical bills and can't afford to pay them. Thats something that needs to be addressed so all those people don't lose their homes or decide not to get the help they need to get well or at least be better physically. Then theres the mental and emotional toll. Things need to improve and I hope they do. No one in this country should have to live in fear of getting sick and we still have the homeless, the hungry etc. It just shouldn't be that way.

Please review our Policies and Procedures before registering or commenting

Or login with:

OpenID

News Tribune