If Obama really wanted to neutralize him he should have made him health care czar, based on the fact that Mitt pioneered mandatory, state run health care in MA while he was governor. Assuming that Obama really does want to move the country towards a single payer system under which everyone is covered, what better way to do it than behind a succesful republican business man with a track record?
A REPUBLICAN DID THAT? A REPUBLICAN RESORTED TO SOCIALIST PROGRAMS?
I look for Obama and the democrats to use things like this as the healthcare debate amps up in the coming months ahead. Obama's plan sounds a bit similar to
Romney's (as well as McCain's) that he (Mitt) signed into law in 2006'. If repubs. start balking, Obama can use the bully pulpit to point out that Romney who could be a darling for 2012' did in effect the same thing as Governor. If Obama were really bold, he could say,
"in the spirit of bi partisanship, I'm following a republican healthcare model" and then watch the repubs. try and figure out how to use the "socialist" paintbrush without "redwashing" themselves!
We long crossed that "socialist" bridge a long, long time ago so we will get some kind of healthcare plan that will claim to be the "save all that ends all" I'm sure! I was shocked it wasn't done before to save Detroit as shifting healthcare costs of employees/retirees would have saved a lot for the bottomline but I guess the gov't was already so debt extended it had no flexibility other than to let GM and Chrysler whither and die on the vine.
2012' will hinge on the 2010' midterms. If repubs. smell blood in the water, it might get interesting, if not look for the elephants to run another Bob Dole or John McCain also known as the infamous "NASCAR Field Filler!"
