Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Two items. The first, from today's Wall Street Journal:
The ObamaCare preview that Massachusetts has been conducting for the last several years grows more ominous by the month....
A new survey released yesterday by the Massachusetts Medical Society reveals that fewer than half of the state's primary care practices are accepting new patients, down from 70% in 2007, before former Governor Mitt Romney's health-care plan came online. The average wait time for a routine checkup with an internist is 48 days. It takes 43 days to secure an appointment with a gastroenterologist for chronic heartburn, up from 36 last year, and 41 days to see an OB/GYN, up from 34 last year.
The second, from Time magazine:
Romney to give major health care address Thursday in Michigan.
Complete with PowerPoint presentation, frontrunner will "lay out plan to repeal and replace Obamacare."
This should be interesting.
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Aug '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Why am I thinking of the sentence, "I could no more abandon this [crazy hate-filled hypocritical] man who brought me into the church than I could my own racist grandmother [who btw, raised me]" ?
Edited on May 10, 2011 at 8:01pmJun '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Goodness gracious... I just don't see why Professor Rahe is so optimistic....
Feb '11
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Wait what?
He's got a powerpoint presentation?
Oh. It's all over. He's going to be the GOP nominee.
What can overcome a powerpoint presentation?
Surely not any measly facts.
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Fox News had a particularly brutal piece on Romneycare over the weekend -- doctors becoming scarce in Massachusetts. In other words, the British lost the (Revolutionary) War, but they got their healthcare system.
So . . . will Mitt offer a mea culpa for the Massachusetts plan, or continue with the "states are the laboratory of democracy" defense?
Why give this speech in Michigan -- do it instead in DC, since this is for the national media's consumption. If I were in Mitt's camp, I'd think of reserving the Wolverine State (a special state for him, given his family history) for a speech devoted solely to a futuristic economic vision.
Edited on May 10, 2011 at 8:22pmRe: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Here's what I'd like to see Romney say:
Edited on May 10, 2011 at 8:22pmAug '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
His healthcare address Thursday could make or break his campaign...or not.
Many people (some of whom are on this site) have already said categorically that they will not support Mitt because of Romneycare. Will he be able to say anything to change those minds? Probably not, but he can change the views of folks who may be a little less adamant in their views.
At any rate, hopefully his address will make his candidacy a little more palatable to people on our side since his nomination is more or less inevitable...
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Bill Whalen: So . . . will Mitt offer a mea culpa for the Massachusetts plan, or continue with the "states are the laboratory of democracy" defense?
Edited on May 10 at 11:22 am
Which are you predicting, Bill? (My feeling: If he were going to put some distance between himself and RomneyCare, he'd have done so already. Heck. I wrote a column more or less begging him to do just that--two years ago. He just plain won't do it.)
Aug '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Diane Ellis, Ed.: Here's what I'd like to see Romney say:
Diane,
Perhaps he could replace the phrase, "resounding failure" with "less than completely successful". Might soften the blow a bit...
Jun '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Canada's Fraser Institute, a policy think tank, has been studying this question of wait times for years. Here is one recent article:
Surgical wait times jump to 18.2 weeks, second longest ever as all provinces record greater delays for treatment
Contained within this particular article is a link to the Fraser Institute's 20th annual report on the subject: Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada. The entire report is available as a free download. I've included the second link for the convenience of Ricochet readers who want to go directly to the full report.
Edited on May 10, 2011 at 8:38pmSep '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Not even a Navy Seal Team can save Romney from the millstone that he has created around his own neck.
Feb '11
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Republican presidential nominees don't say "teaching moment."
Jul '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Everything is calculation with this guy. I would go so far as to speculate that Romneycare was a calculated ploy to burnish his Presidential credentials, as in "I'm the guy who showed the way on healthcare". Oops.
Once in the White House, he'd probably calculate that we really do need to raise taxes.
We don't want a calculator, we want a leader with firm conservative principles.
Jun '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Can you imagine if this guy wins the nomination?... it will be another McCain type situation, where in the words of T. Sowell, we will vote for him because, "we prefer disaster to catastrophe."
The entirety of Ricochet simultaneously takes a shot of cheap whiskey, sighs aloud, and utters the Cubs' catch phrase, "we'll get em' next time."
Aug '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Which are you predicting, Bill? (My feeling: If he were going to put some distance between himself and RomneyCare, he'd have done so already. Heck. I wrote a column more or less begging him to do just that--two years ago. He just plain won't do it.)
That picture is worth a thousand words. The guy is bending over backwards and tying himself in to knots, yet his noggin remains perilously close to his own glutes.
So many CoC violations, so little time.
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Peter, I don't think he'll ever own up to Romneycare's problems. I think you're right: The window's closed.
To do so now would cause two problems, imo:
1) Raises questions as to Romney's core convictions (abortion, etc.)
2) Reporters will see it as an inivitation to revisit the rest of his Massachusetts record. Poison, for a former governor.
Peter Robinson
Bill Whalen: So . . . will Mitt offer a mea culpa for the Massachusetts plan, or continue with the "states are the laboratory of democracy" defense?
Edited on May 10 at 11:22 am
Which are you predicting, Bill? (My feeling: If he were going to put some distance between himself and RomneyCare, he'd have done so already. Heck. I wrote a column more or less begging him to do just that--two years ago. He just plain won't do it.) · May 10 at 11:27am
Oct '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
As one of the people described in your first sentence quoted above, I can answer your second sentence quoted above: if he cribs Diane's quote exactly and entirely, he's back in play in my book.
Oct '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Frozen Chosen
Diane,
Perhaps he could replace the phrase, "resounding failure" with "less than completely successful". Might soften the blow a bit... · May 10 at 11:29am
"Less than completely successful??" ALL legislation is "less than completely successful." He says something that squishy, he's back OUT of play in my book.
Aug '10
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
dittoheadadt
As one of the people described in your first sentence quoted above, I can answer your second sentence quoted above: if he cribs Diane's quote exactly and entirely, he's back in play in my book. · May 10 at 2:06pm
He may be back in your play for you if he said those exact words but he would be out of play for many, many others...
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Because Mitt is history, as soon will be evident.
Re: Mitt to Explain Himself at Last?
Diane Ellis, Ed.: Here's what I'd like to see Romney say:
Edited on May 10 at 11:22 am
May 10 at 11:21am
Not good enough. We will still want to ask, "OK, what light does your conduct as governor throw on your likely conduct as President?"
Ask that question, and he's a goner.