Romney Advisers Helped the White House Draft Health Care Reform

[liberal N proud]

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama never met to discuss the federal health care law, but Romney's advisers did. New records reviewed by NBC News's Michael Isikoff point out that "White House officials had a dozen meetings in 2009 with three health-care advisers and experts who helped shape the health care reform law signed by Romney in 2006." One meeting, NBC News reports, "was in the Oval Office and presided over by Barack Obama." Jon Gruber, one of the advisers who attended the Obama meeting, said that the White House "really wanted to know how we can take that same approach we used in Massachusetts and turn that into a national model." Especially in light of Perry's recent "Romney Remedy" ad, Romney is distancing himself from Gruber like an embarrassing ex, as aides have tried to suggest Gruber wasn't a really an adviser to Romney. However, as Isikoff writes, Gruber was "personally recognized by Romney when the governor signed the health-care bill into law" as well as "appointed by Romney as a board member to the Connector Authority." Gruber himself has a few, possibly damaging, words for Romney:

I think he is the single person most responsible for health care reform in the United States. … I’m not trying to make a political position or a political statement, I honestly feel that way. If Mitt Romney had not stood up for this reform in Massachusetts … I don’t think it would have happened nationally. So I think he really is the guy with whom it all starts.”

http://news.yahoo.com/romney-advisers-helped-white-house-draft-health-care-130122666.html

[villager]

1. This White House loves Republican policies. Alas.

n/t

[great white snark]

3. Is that why they get soooo much support from Republicans?

Or do you, alas, speak out of your ass?

[villager]

4. So -- the expansion of Executive powers, the wars, the spying, et al

those policies, in your infinitely snarky wisdom, originated with Obama?

Man, it's worse than I thought!

[treestar]

9. They did not originate with Obama!

Remember the Patriot Act and the Unitary Executive?

Republicans deserve to have Democratic President exercise those powers.

[Dragonfli]

8. They don't want him to get "credit" for their ideas, a little history lesson about this Repub plan

GOP-1993-health-reform-bill

He and Romney simply resurrected the Republican "business friendly" alternative to the "Hillary Care" proposal of the nineties.

A plan I might add that was first the brain child of the Heritage Foundation, so no, the poster is not just "speaking out his ass".


Ignorance is no excuse on your part for cheering on Heritage Foundation Ideas, if you like them so much, join the GOP.

More examples of right wing policies he has adopted from the US Chamber of Commerce, including free trade and the the toxic pipeline idea
http://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/110905_jobs_letter.pdf

[ClarkUSA]

10. Wrong again. The MA Dem legislature wrote the bill that Romney tried not to sign at first.

[ProSense]

2. This is

going to back Romney into a tight corner.

Being tagged as a supporter of health care reform is a no-no for a GOP candidate, and Mitt Romney already has serious flip-flopping issues.

[treestar]

5. This would nullify health care as an issue in the campaign

Too bad for the repubs. :nopity:

[CoffeeCat]

7. They're going to be freaking out even more...

Boy, they thought they hated McCain as a candidate. Conservatives might as well just start crying now. They
all ready don't like Romney.

This is going to fuel a boatload of Xanax and Valium prescriptions in gated communities everywhere!

[CoffeeCat]

6. So, I'm guessing that Romney never really...

...liked the public option very much?

Wow. First, the health-insurance lobby camped out weeks before a bill was even written--and descended on the White House
who listened to their pleas. Then, we've got Romney advisers--putting in their 2 cents.

President Obama couldn't get enough advice from the corporations and Republicans--yet he wouldn't even take a meeting
with the physician's group that wanted to discuss the public option?

Messed up beyond repair. This is why we march. This is why we Occupy Wall Street.

[rug]

11. What about all those threads that said Congress drafts the legislation?

Oh yes, that was bullshit.