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The Real Flip-Flopper on ObamaCare

July 6, 2012 @ 11:36 am

Media focus on Mitt Romney's purported "flip-flop" on ObamaCare-on whether or not it's a tax-steals attention from much more consequential contradictions by President Obama. For two years, the administration promised that their sweeping legislation hiked no taxes on the middle class but now they embrace the idea that the mandate is a new tax because that's the only way the Supreme Court declared it constitutional.

Romney, on the other hand, always condemned the plan for its crushing tax burdens, and within hours of the Court's decision, he delivered a clear, powerful statement ripping ObamaCare as "bad policy" because it "raises taxes on the American people by approximately $500 billion." A clumsy later interview by a campaign press spokesman shouldn't obscure the public's resentment of the mandate as either penalty or tax, or distort Romney's consistent, unwavering opposition to the president's disastrous scheme.

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Comments (25)


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  • Drool wrote...
    Except...
    July 6, 2012 1:04 pm
    When Romney enacted the same penalty for non coverage in Mass it wasn't a tax (per Romney). Spin it any way you like Michael.....a dollar in penalty spends exactly the same as a dollar in tax.
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  • fmrplt wrote...
    And it was a complete failure
    July 6, 2012 7:26 pm
    and burden on the taxpayers. So he knows it's a bad bill. Live and learn.
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  • William Lawn wrote...
    Pop quiz, who said
    July 6, 2012 1:11 pm
    1. On abortion: "I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose and am devoted and dedicated to honoring my word in that regard."

    2. "I am fighting for an overturning of Roe v. Wade."

    3. On gay rights: "As we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent."

    4. On the 2009 economic stimulus: "No time, nowhere, no how."

    5. "There is need for economic stimulus. Americans have lost about $11 trillion in net worth. That translates into about $400 billion a year less spending that they'll be doing. ... Government can help make that up in a very difficult time. And that's one of the reasons why I think a stimulus program is needed."

    6. On climate science: "I believe that climate change is occurring — the reduction in the size of global ice caps is hard to ignore. I also believe that human activity is a contributing factor."

    7. "Do I think the world's getting hotter? Yeah, I don't know that, but I think that it is. ... I don't know if it's mostly caused by humans. ... What I'm not willing to do is spend trillions of dollars on something I don't know the answer to."

    8. On health care: "It's critical to insure more people in this country. It doesn't make sense to have 45 million people without insurance. It's not good for them because they don't get good preventative care ... but it's not good for the rest of the citizens either, because if people aren't insured, they go to the emergency room for their care when they get very sick. That's expensive. They don't have any insurance to cover it. So guess who pays? Everybody else."

    9. On financial bailouts: "The idea of trying to bail out an institution to protect the shareholders or to protect a certain interest group, that's a terrible idea. And that shouldn't happen."

    10. "TARP got paid back, and it kept the financial system from collapsing. ... Well, it was the right thing to do."

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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Mr. Lawn - I will assume that in keeping with you attention to detail,
    July 7, 2012 7:23 am
    your next post will include the answers, as well as dates and context of the quotes and detailed instructions as to where we may find them to confirm them ourselves ?

    After all, anything less would be just like our other posters that you usually nit pick. ........ and THAT would be 'flip=flopping'.

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  • logical open mind wrote...
    Boring-spit ball thrower Lawn- Are you saing the Romney is a politian and has flipped? Im so shocked.
    July 9, 2012 8:33 am
    Instead of your usual nit picking, answer two questions-Are you voting for Obama no matter what? 2What three things has Obama done that historians will give him credit for 20 years from now. Skip saved us from a depresion-it is not provable.
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  • Rick (4) wrote...
    Does it matter what it is called
    July 6, 2012 1:25 pm
    Both cases results in revenue to the us government to spend as they wish.

    so it is either a tax or a tax penalty since the IRS will collect it. Both costs the poor and the middle class to pay more $$$ to the federal government.

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  • Drool wrote...
    In Massachusetts
    July 6, 2012 2:38 pm
    Massachusetts residents who file a state tax return have to provide proof that they have health insurance. If they can afford insurance but don’t have it, they must “pay a penalty through their tax returns,” according to the state Department of Revenue’s Web site.

    But of course that's not a tax.

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  • Rick (4) wrote...
    @Drool
    July 6, 2012 2:56 pm
    The same applies to Obamacare so call it what ever you want.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Drool wrote...
    RIck
    July 6, 2012 4:27 pm
    I don't care if you call it a tax. I guess if it was passed on the basis of the commerce clause, Medved would not call it a tax? Guess what, like I said earlier, the money spends the same. BTW, the tax code penalizes people all the time. No mortgage to buy a home, you don't get to take the deduction (I take two). No kids? Sorry you don't get to take that deduction. Works exactly the same. The money you don't pay for having a mortgage spends exactly like the money you don't pay for having health insurance.
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  • Rick (4) wrote...
    Drool
    July 6, 2012 5:18 pm
    If the IRS controls it is a tax as that is all they do.
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  • sportsguru wrote...
    it's funny
    July 6, 2012 3:54 pm
    seeing the rwnj squirm trying to protect Mr. Etch-a-sketch.
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  • logical open mind wrote...
    sportsguru news alert-ALL POLITICIANS FLIP FLOP! Its part of the gig man.
    July 9, 2012 10:17 am
    and the shocking thing is even the messiah Obama has flip-flopped. But hes supporters are so in love they just dont know it.
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  • Drool wrote...
    Good Read
    July 6, 2012 4:27 pm
    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/opinion/mr-romney-changes-his-mind-again-on-health-care.html?_r=1&hp
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  • SeattleD wrote...
    "What's good for the stock holders is good for the country."
    July 6, 2012 6:19 pm
    At least that is Romney's take on healthcare. And the worst thing for insurance company stock holders portfolio growth is for the company to actually pay for sick people's medical care.
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  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Largest tax increase in WORLD HISTORY.
    July 7, 2012 5:26 am
    Yep. Tax & spend=Dimocrats. One, teeny-tiny step at a time...
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  • Drool wrote...
    HPD
    July 7, 2012 8:55 am
    See what you get for listening to liars?

    http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/jun/28/rush-limbaugh/health-care-law-not-largest-tax-increase-us-histor/

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  • CH wrote...
    Largest tax increase in WORLD HISTORY . . . .
    July 8, 2012 8:37 pm
    did you get that from Fox News. Remember they are feeding you cow dung, you must like it.
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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Largest TAX increase in History? NOPE
    July 10, 2012 3:17 pm
    Unless you make $200,000 (individual) $250,000 (combined income) and have Cadillac Insurance plans your taxes will not increase.The VAST MAJORITY of Americans do not fall in those categorys. Do as DROOL said go to Politifact.com and get accuate info
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  • Lysander wrote...
    Real flip flopper?
    July 10, 2012 10:08 pm
    How about McKenna who has said he is giving up the fight against obama care?
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