Mitt Romney says he helped father Obamacare. But, he adds, his baby is still just as ugly as he said it was in 2012.
Romney brought up the subject of paving the way for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in an interview with the Boston Globe. Asked to comment for an obituary on Staples cofounder Tom Stemberg, a Romney crony, Romney said Stemberg had pushed him to create affordable health insurance for Massachusetts residents.
Dubbed Romneycare, the insurance program serves as a model for Obamacare, Romney said. "Without Romneycare, I don't think we would have Obamacare," he told The Globe.
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But just as he did when he was running for president, Romney threw his baby out with the federal bathwater. He denied that his comments represented an endorsement of the PPACA.
"I oppose Obamacare and believe it has failed," he said in a statement following publication of the Globe article. "It drove up premiums, took insurance away from people who were promised otherwise, and usurped state programs. As I said in the campaign, I'd repeal it and replace it with state-crafted plans."
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
