Republican’s have major problems in 2012, not the least of which are our candidates. With Huckabee out, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich seem that much closer to headlining and that isn’t good for conservatives of any variety, especially on health care.
Romney made a name for himself with a signature Massachusetts health care reform that forced taxpayers to purchase care, known as an individual mandate. The measure is a centerpiece of the Obama federal plan and may prove to be the downfall of the entire legislation if the Supreme Court finds it unconstitutional. Not great for Romney, even worse for Newt Gingrich. Why?
In the past Gingrich has repeatedly supported an individual mandate, a point he reconfirmed this morning on Meet The Press. See the exchange below, provided by Red State:
GINGRICH: well, i agree that all of us have a responsibility to help pay for health care. and i think there are ways to do it that make most libertarians relatively happy. i have said consistently we ought to have some requirement that you either have health insurance or you post a bond, or in some way, you indicate you’re going to be held accountable.
GREGORY: but that is the individual mandate, is it not?
GINGRICH: it’s a variation on it.
GREGORY: so you won’t use that issue against Mitt Romney?
GINGRICH: no
Gingrich also used the occasion to trash Representative Paul Ryan’s Medicaid plan calling it radical right-wing social engineering. In other words, let the big government stand as it is.
Essentially then, Gingrich and Romney have removed the lynchpin of the conservative argument. It is OK for the federal government to force individuals to purchase a private product. So then what is next? Carbon offsets? Forced higher education spending? Electric cars? Housing? Insulation? Where do we go from here?
The term RINO is thrown around often but I am honestly baffled that we are this close to having so many of them as our party nominee especially after John McCain’s triumphant crash and burn. We avoided Huckabee but Romney, Gingrich and Pawlenty stand. God help us!
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Tags: Election 2012, RINO
