As TPM noted, despite initially resisting showing up for Sen. Jim DeMint's GOP forum in South Carolina this Monday, Mitt Romney instead decided to go ahead and show up and kiss DeMint's ring. Romney wrapped up his time there defending his health care law that was passed in Massachusetts and using what TPM noted was an old argument as to why he can deflect criticism of the law that passed in his state while he was governor that has so many similarities to the much derided "Obama-care" or as the law is actually named, the Affordable Care Act.
From TPM back in May of this year -- Mitt Romney: I Will Never Impose My Awesome Massachusetts Law On The Nation:
Mitt Romney's much-anticipated health care speech Thursday did not dance around conservative criticism over his support for individual mandates as governor of Massachusetts. Instead he took the issue head on, issuing a thorough and impassioned defense of his state's health care law -- even as he pledged never to apply it to the rest of the country.
"I respect the views of those who think we took the wrong course and who think we should have taken a different course," he said. "I also recognize that a lot of pundits around the nation are saying that I should say that was a bone-headed idea and I presume folks would think that would be good for me politically. But there's only one problem with that. It wouldn't be honest. I in fact did what I thought was right for the people of my state." Read on...
Romney's latest twisting in the wind via CNN below the fold.
DEMINT: I don't want to cut you short. We have about a minute and 15 seconds. Want to give you a chance to talk about health care. As you know, if you're our nominee, the president is going to say that you implemented Obamacare in Massachusetts.
How would you describe what Massachusetts did, the mandate to buy insurance at the state or the federal level? And you've got about a minute and I'll let you finish up in any way you like.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually about 20 second.
ROMNEY: I'll take a minute.
DEMINT: My timer has 55 seconds.
ROMNEY: That will be one of my best assets if I'm able to debate President Obama as I hope to be able to do by saying, Mr. President, you give me credit for what you've tried to copy in some ways.
Our bill dealt with 8 percent of our population, the people who aren't insured and said to them, if you can pay, don't count on the government, take personal responsibility. We didn't raise taxes, Mr. President. You raise taxes $500 billion.
We didn't cut Medicare. One president in modern history cut Medicare, this president and I'll say to him, why don't you give me a call and I'll told you what to do right and what not to do. And the critical thing is this, he dealt with - we dealt with 8 percent.
He dealt with 100 percent of American people. He said I'm going to change health care for all of you. It's simply unconstitutional. It's bad law. It's bad medicine and on day one of my administration, I will direct the secretary of Health and Human Services to grant a waiver from ObamaCare to all fifty states. It has got to be stopped, and I know it better than most.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
DEMINT: Thank you, sir.
ROMNEY: Thank you. Good to be with you.
I look forward to Romney being pressed on this matter further and having to spend a little more time than less than a minute explaining himself in future primary debates. DeMint let him get away with a softball here by asking him the question when he knew there was no time left for follow up and barely enough time for Romney to even begin to answer his question.
