Clearly Santorum is not doing his homework. Here's how I know that: because he's wrong.
In fact, the Massachusetts Healthcare reform was arguably one of the best things that could have happened for the state in recent years. More than 98% of MA residents are covered, essentially every child and it only cost the state a staggering ONE PERCENT in additional spending. In short, it was A Decisive Success, Rick. Google it.
So I know Mitt Romney is a ridiculous Ken doll of a man in his public life but this is definitely as aspect of his political career that I will happily brag about as a Massgal (a term I just made up and will never use again). I'm not saying this necessarily makes him a better contender for President, and I'm not saying I call my friends up on the weeknights to gab about Romney's latest mom jeans, what I am saying is that this decision for the state was anything BUT a failure. And herein lies the most painful irony of the rest of the
The fact that Santorum is already going around bashing 'Romneycare,' which is something nobody in Massachusetts actually calls it, is going to be a really difficult issue for Romney to defend. On the one hand, the bill worked for Massachusetts. It was great for Massachusetts - our overall health is up and it's not generally crippling to business, large or small. But if he defends it, he's four steps farther to the left of Conservatism, an image he's already struggling to maintain. However if he decries it he will be flip flopping even more fervently and it will hurt his interest to repudiate his own (correct) decision, which he should be able to brag about as a political success. Tough call, Mittens.
I think it will be worth noting how Romney handles this future awkward dinner party of an issue. One of his biggest political successes is now going to be working against him and it won't matter much that Massachusetts might wholly agree with it because come the actual election this state is going to remain as blue as they come. Seriously, I'd see the lone McCain bumper sticker in 2008 and wonder if they were lost. It's valiant in it's own way to support a Republican Presidential candidate here but come on, we all know you just wasted $2.50.
I suppose in a country where Socialism is a dirty word any uniform law on a social issue, even one as important as our health, is considered a breach of our rights. Our rights to health? I can't help but notice that this is not a strong argument against Romney's politics, this is just bad math.
Almost 40 years ago I took a business school class on insurance. on the first day the professor told this story. "in china the Yangtze river used to flood and the farmers would have trouble getting their crops to market. They learned to arrange their crops so that part of everyone's crop would be split up among the different boats. This made sure that some of your crop would get to market because some of the boats would not make it there. This is the concept of insurance. Now everything else I am going to teach you is how to make money on it!" The concept hasn't changed since then. the risk pool should be citizen's of the united states. the cost impact on business and productivity is staggering, unfortunately those who earn their living from selling you health care are threatened.
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