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The Hewitt-Romney Rationalization

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Those who insist that RomneyCare isn’t as bad as ObamaCare need a reality check.

Both impose new price controls; both impose new taxpayer-funded subsidies; both force people to buy health insurance; both massively expand government interference in our lives.

Former Governor Mitt Romney seemed to acknowledge the similarities when he suggested, shortly after Obamacare had passed, that he’d “be happy to take credit” for the president’s accomplishment. Now, though, with the glaring parallels so politically inconvenient, he pretends that parsecs of distance separate the two plans.

RomneyCare apologist Hugh Hewitt says that RomneyCare’s mandate forcing people to buy health insurance offends only “a handful of libertarian purists.” (Which I’d submit is far better than being a pure socialist or even a half-and-half socialist.) According to Hewitt, if we have no great objection to, say, smog-emission mandates, what’s the big deal about being compelled to buy a product?! Anyway, he adds, states have the right to impose such mandates, whereas the federal government is constitutionally barred from doing so.

Regardless of how we assess particular attempts to combat pollution, pollution at least conceivably violates the rights of others. Your not buying something does not violate anybody else’s rights; being compelled to buy something does violate somebody’s rights — yours.

Sure, RomneyCare affects “only” 6.5 million people, whereas ObamaCare affects some 300 million. But expanding governmental interference in the medical industry and into the lives of everyone is, either way, destructive and immoral.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

10 replies on “The Hewitt-Romney Rationalization”

Not having medical insurance DOES impact on others;
we, the taxpayer. Hospital ERs must treat patients presenting themselves for care whether they can pay or not. Then who pays? The taxpayer or the private hospital. Mandatory auto insurance is accepted as the rule. Why not medical insurance?

So Romney is Obama-lite?

He’s already come out favoring the CO2 tax. Just a slower pace on the road to hell.

75% chance that he WILL get the republican nomination, since he played nice last time and bowed out so that McCain could have “his turn”. Mccain had played nice and bowed out so that Bush could ride in unchallenged, so then it was “his turn”, which is why we had such a weak Obama-lite alternative to vote for in 2008, that was supposed to carry the water for the conservative bulk of America.

This entrenched primary/party heirarchy is going to finagle behind the scenes until our republic collapses.

Mr. Stark:
Noone requires you to have a car or any insurance for one if you choose to use alternative transportation. At least, not yet.

Of course, once the Supremes bail on the Constitution and allow Congress to mandate just what we buy and when, then they will be telling us what model car we must purchase and how frequently, since not purchasing a car will have such an effect on so many unionized, government bailed-out workers.

Romney, the more he speaks, reminds me of hsi father, George Romney, former governor of Michigan, and as a candidate for pres., said he was ” brainwashed” about Viet Nam, after he changed hsi views.

One person said, knowing Romney, he only needed a light rinse.

In my view, that is the same, here.

When popular, one side; unpopular, the other side.

With candidtaes liek these clowns (as a lifelong Republican)-Romney; Palin; Trump; (or, isn’t he a candidate this week?), et al, no wonder Obama doesn’t seem worried.

To me, the difference between Romneycare and Obamacare is the difference between state and federal law. Aren’t the states supposed to be the laboratories of democracy? The states are exactly the places that should do this. It is beyond the purview of the feds. I wish Romney had made that point. It would not have been hypocritical to say that, as governor, he made a decision that would not have been appropriate as president. He tried something and it didn’t work. There should be no shame in admitting that you made a mistake but that you’re not sorry you tried. I see a huge difference between Romneycare and Obamacare. It’s the difference between state and federal power.

I agree and disagree….

Yes, it is a state thing and not a federal thing. And look at the state! Taxachusetts for goodness sakes! They voted it in! And remember, that is the playground for the royal family, The Kennedys…so they deserve what they get. But it is a state thing and I am glad I do not live there.

I disagree where any government makes me buy something. I guess they can put me in jail. I do wear a helmet on my cycle, but I do not want to be told to do it. I can make the choice all by myself. Since I have not had health insurance for at least ten years, a helmet is a wise choice.

Good work, Paul…

Well, Pat, if it’s unconstitutional for the federal government to murder you, is it “okay” for states to try out a program of murdering people, since states are the “laboratory of democracy”? Violation of individual rights is immoral no matter by what level of government it is being perpetrated. And we don’t need yet another laboratory with millions as guinea pigs to test the propositions of whether socialism in general or socialized health care in particular are immoral and destructive. The whole twentieth century has been that laboratory, and in 2011 the horror stories perpetrated under the banner of universal health care are prolific. None are so blind as those who will not see.

Bruce, you ask who will pay for care if the person doesn;t have insurance.
Here is an idea, how about the person that gets the medical care pays for it! Garnish their wages, take all of their income tax refunds until the debt is paid off! The person that chose not to buy insurance should be responsible for their bills.

Here is an example. A woman hit my stepson’s car a few months ago. It turned out that she didn’t have insurance. She paid for the damage (about $2,000) out of her own pocket.

At this point, if you aren’t a “purist libertarian”, your IQ isn’t capable of melting ice. Romneycare is a monstrosity: those who get around business reporting in a gray market way are the only business owners who are starting new businesses in MA. I know this because I was just in MA, and had a ground-level philosophical view of the situation.

To hell with Romney, and every other mainslime GOP candidate: Ron and Rand are the only decent legislators, and Johnson was the only decent governor. If none of them get the presidential nod in 2012, the GOP will go the way of the dodo, and none too soon for my tastes. A pox on the houses of the D-socialists and R-socialists, both of whom are 100% beholden to the Federal Reserve System.

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