Mitt Romney seems to be at the top of the list when it comes to speculation over who John McCain will pick for his vice presidential running mate. I am not sure if that is what John McCain is thinking as much as the Romney people, trying to boost their guy, want us to think.
But if McCain picks Romney, it will make for an interesting health care debate this fall.
The Obama Health Plan is a virtual clone of the Massachusetts health law. Romney signed it and continues to support it–most recently a couple of weeks ago in an enthusiastic Wall Street Journal Op-Ed.
With Romney on the Republican ticket, how would McCain ever be able to criticize Obama’s proposal as just another Democratic government-run tax and spend health plan?
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Actually, I think Obama’splan is actually weaker then Mass. Care. The Mass system is more like Clinton’s version with mandates extending to adults for at least an attempt at universality (though failing in comprehensiveness, cost control for individuals, cost control for the system; see: http://www.pnhp.org/blog/2008/07/07/4-questions-to-analyze-health-proposal/ ).
And with all due respect to Romney’s prior attempts at being a moderate new england republican, he was indeed not the prime instigator of the program, and did indeed did make objections too it as being too “liberal/costly” at the time, before finally signing it.
Bob:
This is a problem Romney has already considered, and his response was to write an op-ed in the July 12 Wall Street Journal entitled, “Conservatives, I am Repenting for the Massachusetts Health Plan So Please Let Me Be Veep.” Well, OK, that wasn’t the formal title, but that was clearly the signal he meant to be sending with an op-ed in that venue at this time.
The formal title was, “What We’ve Learned From the Massachusetts Health Plan.” It credits all the good things to the Bush administration (really!) and all the bad things to Democratic liberals (imagine that?). To read the Romney pretzel logic in its entirety, see:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121581699254147423.html
Best,
Michael