Romney for Prez? No, thanks!
Posted by Richard on April 9, 2006
Mitt Romney is the kind of Republican that has some appeal for someone like me. He’s pro-choice and not a social conservative, and he’s got an image (because of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, I suppose) of being a savvy businessman and a pro-growth, market-lovin’ kinda guy. What Virginia Postrel calls a dynamist.
Well, this NewsMax story suggests that the image and reality may not match:
In what could be a blow to Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential aspirations, two Democratic White House hopefuls have offered preliminary endorsements for his health care plan, which would force small businesses to offer health insurance to all uninsured employees.
"To come up with a bipartisan plan in this polarized environment is commendable," Sen. Hillary Clinton told the Associated Press on Thursday.
The Romney plan, which has already been passed by the Massachusetts legislature and is waiting the governor’s signature, mimics in some ways Mrs. Clinton’s own Hillarycare proposal, which crashed and burned in 1994 with disastrous political consequences.
OK, I’m already scratching him off my list. But wait — there’s more:
In another sign of trouble for Romney, Hillary isn’t the only Democratic presidential aspirant singing his plan’s praises.
"I like this health care bill that’s passed," Sen. John Kerry told radio host Don Imus Friday morning. "I think it’s terrific. Massachusetts has set a good course on that and I give everybody involved in that credit."
That tears it. As far as I’m concerned, any Republican whose health care plan is so "bipartisan" that it’s praised by both Hillary Clinton and John Effin’ Kerry has disqualified himself from any position with more responsibility and prestige than columnist at the Huffington Post.
Funniest — and truest — take on bipartisanship I ever saw was in a post by Walter In Denver:
"IN AMERICA, WE have a two-party system," a Republican congressional staffer is supposed to have told a visiting group of Russian legislators some years ago.
"There is the stupid party. And there is the evil party. I am proud to be a member of the stupid party."He added: "Periodically, the two parties get together and do something that is both stupid and evil. This is called-bipartisanship."
from a Peter Brimelow column, via David Friedman.
Jan from Denver said
OK, it looks bad, but how about this? The Dems know that the kiss of death for a Republican is endorsement from Clinton and Kerry. This could be a strategery to discredit Romney. They may view him as a strong rival to Hillary. It’s possible! (I, too, had interest in Romney.)