(CNN) – Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's GOP presidential campaign is pushing back against a Los Angeles Times article that could prove troublesome.
"Medical help for illegal immigrants could haunt Mitt Romney" reads the headline Monday's edition of the newspaper. The story details a program in the 2006 Massachusetts health care plan (which then Gov. Romney signed into law) called Health Safety Net, which allows undocumented illegal immigrants to obtain needed medical care along with other people in the state who lack insurance.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the program cost more than $400 million last year and paid for 1.1 million hospital and clinic visits, but it's not certain how many illegal immigrants received treatment since Massachusetts does not record such data.
The Romney campaign was quick to react to the article, and to criticize Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, who succeeded Romney.
"Federal law requires emergency medical care for illegal immigrants. And if illegal immigrants are getting access to additional healthcare in Massachusetts, it's liberal Gov. Deval Patrick that has made it easier for them to do so. All of the regulatory activities involving the Health Safety Net Fund, including who could get care, were made long after Mitt Romney left office," said Romney spokesperson Andrea Saul.
In a statement, Patrick's spokesman said the law wasn't about immigration.
"The Health Safety Net fund, which was created by Massachusetts health care reform, reimburses hospitals and community health centers for medically necessary care provided to people unable to pay for it. It is not about immigration," Brendan Ryan said. "It is about good public policy and making access to health care universal for all members of our community."
The Massachusetts health care law, which critics dub as "Romneycare," has come under attack from Romney's rivals for the GOP nomination as the inspiration for the national health care law pushed by President Barack Obama and passed by a Democratic-controlled Congress, a measure that conservatives hope to repeal.
In last week's CNN/Western Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, Romney was also criticized by Texas Gov. Rick Perry over the issue of illegal immigration, when Perry brought back to life a story from the last presidential cycle, during Romney's first bid for the White House. In an angry exchange between the two candidates, Romney admitted that a landscaping company he hired years earlier for work on his Massachusetts home did employ illegal immigrants, but he said he fired the company when he found out.
The Romney campaign is defending the former governor's record on the issue, and criticizing Perry, who has come under attack by his rivals for the passage of a state law that gives in-state tuition at Texas colleges and universities to some children of illegal immigrants.
"Mitt Romney's record on illegal immigration is clear: as governor, he vetoed an in-state tuition bill for illegal immigrants and authorized his state troopers to detain people based on their immigration status. On the other hand, liberal Gov. Patrick has the same position on illegal immigration as Rick Perry – he favors in-state tuition and reversed an executive order to detain illegal immigrants – and neither can be trusted to deal with such an important issue," added Saul.
A couple of hours after the Romney campaign statement, the Perry campaign weighed in.
"Governor Romney's government-mandated health care plan provided free care for illegal immigrants in Massachusetts, establishing just the kind of illegal immigration magnet Governor Romney claims to oppose," said Perry spokesman Mark Miner. "Program rules established by the Romney Administration in 2004 clearly state that citizenship is not required for free health care and subsidies and health centers cannot consider citizenship before rendering that free care."
"When faced with the illegal immigrant benefits this morning, the Romney campaign tried to deny indisputable facts and to cover their tracks by blaming Gov. Patrick," added Miner. "The truth is Gov. Romney's plan intended to provide free health care to illegal immigrants, and the law and rules he approved were clear about providing free health care to illegal immigrants."
- Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @PSteinhauserCNN
From CNN Politics
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You can run, but can not hide from your record, Mittens.
Mitt, you can't outrun your track record, your flip-flops, and your lies. They will be your downfall.
Look, this guy has had to defend himself so many times, and it's still a long ways until primary season. I do not understand how ANYONE could trust him! If you're honest and open you won't have to defend your actions; your record will stand on its own.
Ron Paul 2012?
Liberal nonsense from a nonsense liberal news outlet, the LA Times. Amazing how much work, time, and money they probably put into this "investigative" report only for Romney to brush it aside with facts. Interesting how facts consistently become a non-issue for the media, both left and right. It is all about sensationalism and fraud, not about objectivity and honesty.
Mittens is the first to blame everyone else for his failed leadership. He is such a typical republican. Romberg takes no responsibility for his actions, or his disasterous governorship with no job creation.
Always blame the one before even if it was under his admin.that he signed it and supported it , unless it is Obama and that is different , it is okay to blame the 8 yrs of deficiet spending under Bush all on 2 1/2 yrs of Obama . Even if he is knocked down every step of the way to do anything.by this GOP congress. Rather see a Dem fail than help their country. If the repub. gets in , just watch this congress lighten up and turn into a party of yes ,vs no. All for political gain , forget the middle class and what would help the people . All these candidates make me ill.......so self centered and false.
Mittens is getting hit from all sides. Lets see how long he keeps his cool until he shows his dark side (like at the debate)
Whoopsy! I thought we were not allowed to blame someone else...oh yeah, that's right only the republicans can do that.
All of the candidates are like the new SNL cast or something, hey, when Obama wins again, you could take your act on the road you could call it Mitt and the Freaks of Comedy Tour, you should make a few dollars to let people laugh at you...oh, the tour started already? where can I get tickets?
from the article:
...Federal law requires emergency medical care for illegal immigrants. And if illegal immigrants are getting access to additional healthcare in Massachusetts, it's liberal Gov. Deval Patrick that has made it easier for them to do so....
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This is typical conservative Republican spin and disinformation. The above statement makes absolutely no factual sense. Listen to what it says, or tries to say and failes miserably.
- Federal law requires *blah*, which is why the conservative implemented it.
- Blame the fact that *blah* exists as law today on your liberal successor.
Can you hear the grand hypocrisy and gross contradictions in those words?
Mass. is a democratic bastion of liberal insanity. California and New York pale in comparison. Occasionally they come to their senses and elect a Republican here and there but the sanity is soon overcome by the liberal disease most have. Neither Romney nor anybody else could have or can save them from themselves.
Illegal! What does that mean? If something is illegal is that not breaking the Law? What good are laws if we do not inforce the laws? There is no gray area! Illegal is Illegal! Facts are Facts. We can not afford 4 more years of this P*R*E*S*I*D*E*N*T
Unbelievable! Forget these guys, I wouldn't trust them to mow my lawn. After it's all said it done how could either of these repub candidates beat Obama in the general election. Obama is going to eat these guys for breakfast, lunch, dinner and put therm where he put palin and mccain today, on the sidelines showing how bad sore losers they are complaining everyday on tv.
Now in addition to flip flopping and pandering, Mittens can add "passing the buck" to his Presidential resume.
Romney's record proves he is a firm defender of America's laws and a wise guardian of MA taxpayer money. He will gut our bloated federal government and make the USA the top job creator in the world. He will also pull our bankrupt necks out of the Chinese noose.
Are you looking for work? Underemployed? Fearful that your job is next on the chopping block? Up to your eye balls in credit card bills? Savings vanished?
Support the guy who really knows how to turn around America.
Support Mitt Romney.
Romney's background in both the public and private sector is a fluffed up joke. He is an outsourcing job-destroyer who had no control over his other political agenda, which he clearly lies about on a regular basis to soften up the real truth.
Guess what, Mitt, we know what you've been doing. And we don't like it.
Are youbpeople serious deficit spending under Obama has increased to the highest level in history and now he wants to spend anothe half billion. The president has continually blamed Bush for everything under the sun he should star to take some of the heat.
So let's see... if Obamacare is the same as Romneycare, was Joe Wilson really wrong after all?
Did anyone here read the article? Or just the headline? Check your facts – this happened after he left office & Patrick took over. Dislike Romney if you want, but at least get your facts straight.
If Romney's HealCare plan didn't stop illegals from getting covered, how can he blame the present Governor? We all know that Gov. Patrick does favor the illegals but as for the Health Care, he's just following Romney's plan that was already in place. Afterall, Romney knew that those illegals that were cutting his grass and painting his house in Belmont would eventually need some kind of health care.
I STILL want to hear some VERY concrete reasons for why the Right is so against the Affordabel Care Act. Besides the individual mandate (which was a REPUBLICAN Heritage Foundation idea) what is it the Right hates so much??
It's not socialism.
It's NOT government take over of health care.
It DOES NOT add to the debt but actually reduces it.
It expands access to basic health care for millions who do not have it.
All their complaints about it are easily debunked and have been for quite some time.
WHAT do they hate so much about it??
It's amazing to what extent people will turn to in order to find SOMETHING against him. Nice try. It's comforting to see people are looking, but they can't really find ANYTHING. Mitt 2012
Oh, ok, now healthcare for illegals is bad, even though the pandering for the past few years has been saying it's good. I find it funny coming out of a paper from L.A. Romney beats Obama easy.
Democrat Class Warfare – wrote:
Mass. is a democratic bastion of liberal insanity.
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Then I guess Texas is a texbook example of conservative ideology at work. Texas is near dead last in environmental protection, people with health care, people living in poverty, graduating teens with high school diplomas, average incomes, birth death rates, state executions, state unemployment, annual state deficit, and more.
But, those rich folks down in Texas are living large and doing very well. Believe me when I tell you.
Massachusetts is essentially a sanctuary STATE under the current Democrat "leadership". Why do you think all of Obama's illegal alien relatives live here??? Where is all the reporting ON THAT??!!!
Why is he running from his record? It is actually better than all the other candidates. He's in a Catch 22 -trying to win the Primaries and lose the General Elections. He can't win by distancing himself from many of his most impressive accomplishments. Romney is just about the only mainstream candidate in the race for the GOP.
Romney is not being honest. Much of the health care he was responsible for, centered on the uninsured, and of course, by definition, that included illegal immigrants.
The big problem with illegal immigrants, is that no administration has really done anything to curtail the growth in illegal immigration, for decades, so now.......the problem is totally out of control.
@easydoesit – According to Bush's own treasury dept. head, Bush's 2 UNFUNDED wars, his deficit-producing prescription plan, and his tax breaks ... all implemented for over 10 years, make up more than HALF OF OUR CURRENT DEFICIT of $14T. And this does not even include the trillions spent to shore up our economy after the financial collapse in '08. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to do that math. And what's alarming is that Mitt Romney wants to implement the same exact policies that caused this perfect storm to begin with.
Google Mark Pauly.......He is the Republican Conservative Economist that presented the Individual Mandate to George Bush Sr. It's about time you folks realize that the Health Care bill is really a watered down version of the 1993 Republican health care proposal. Romney Health Care in his state is practically the same bill as Obama's .....Romney can talk around it all day long but the present day bill is his idea and is a Republican idea. Wanting to get rid of it is strictly political.
Also, Google Health Care Bill eliminates subsidies............
Fair is Fair
So let's see... if Obamacare is the same as Romneycare, was Joe Wilson really wrong after all?
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First of all, "Obamacare" is a scary monster that doesn't exist. The "Affordable Care Act" does exist, and it does not go as far as "RomneyCare" in MA.
If you prefer to put your fate in the hands of a "death panel" at a private insurance company, be my guest. We already know how that story ends. It ends with you being dropped, or you being dead. Either way, you lose and the private insurance company *always* wins.
Not a Romney fan or supporter, but I can't hate him for "having a heart." I'm sure Governor Perry will agree!
President Obama will win in Nov 2012
flip-flop....not for me...not for Americans....flip-flop....Obama2012.
mcd
"Did anyone here read the article? Or just the headline? Check your facts – this happened after he left office & Patrick took over. Dislike Romney if you want, but at least get your facts straight."
I think it is you who have to read the article again (Para 2).
Gov. Deval Patrick did not amend the law. He just executed it the way it has been since Romney signed it.
As I stated before Rick Perry will be the (r) nominee.
More and more people are finding out real fast – Romney has no stance on anything and because he has already obtained a mass fortune the only thing he wants now is power and that lies in the WH. Say NO to Willard Romney in 2012.
Love seeing the rethugs implode.hilarious
Exactly why Ron Paul is getting my vote. If any of these other idiots get in, I'm surely not voting. Aren't people tired of the same old idiot liars who only care about illegal immigrants and themselves rather than the people who pay them?
The Obama administration passed the bill knowing it was not in anyway perfect. Changes need to be made.
Corporate American does not want to be in the health care provider business. It takes from their profits. Over the past 30 years we have seen a withdrawing of health care benifits. Remember when an employer paid for all of you and your families health care. Then came, we will pay yours but not your family. Then co-pays etc, etc. Wal-mart just pulled back on health care for some of it's employees. Not wanting to pay health care benefits has been goal of the business community for years. Again, it takes away from their profits. As profits sore for corporate business the less we get. Not right............Support those candidates who want a strong business environment but will also ask something for it's workforce. We are their workforce and we buy their products.
Nike flip flops or Adidas?
Romney will blame everybody but himself!
So when is Mor(M)onRomney going to start taking responsibility...is he going to blame someone else as well for shipping jobs overseas while he was the CEO @ Baines Capital and posing in pics with dolllar bill$$$?!!
These rep/tper are really lost. We all know what their agenda is. Everything is the liberal media says this and that. It is not the liberal media. People know how to do research for themselves. What the true American people see so far is that the republican/tea partiers care about no one. They are trying to stop people from voting, putting more people in the poor house, and concentrating on making our current president a one termer. We also see that they will pick any clown to defeat President Obama. Now tell me who cares about America more. Yote Democrat across the board if you want to save America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My God....A rush to disavow the heart of Christianity. Charity towards those less fortunate, Let the poor die in the streets. Keep the immigrants out of hospitals. Let the sick ones rot and spread disease to un vaccinated American children. I might add Mr.Romney: Is this the Mormon way? If it is sir, you are no Christian!
Willard! Say it isn't so....
Poor stretch: "I'm running for office" as his cover-up for lawngate, going hands-on with Richard Parry, speed up those foreclosures for the sake of the investors, proposing an indefinite occupation of Iraq despite the sovereign nation wanting otherwise, an infrastructure plan that looks like (wait for it) Obama's, and now Romneycare the Return. Get it together Willard, you're better than that....stop flopping when flipping is required and vice versa.
Thank God for "liberals" like Gov. Patrick who put humanity ahead of politics.
For god`s sake Mitt, MAN UP once in your miserable flip-flopping life.
Your administration crafted the bill & YOU SIGNED the legislation, not Deval Patrick.
I`m sure Patrick is sitting around saying, "How did I get drawn into Romney`s mess?!"
It's all about damage control and that's all it's ever been about for all of the candidates. The fact is that people coming over from other countries is so huge and pervasive that no one is not affected by their presence, unless you live in a cave. It is human migration the likes of which we have never seen, to escape horrible conditions from where they come from. For any candidate to pander to a group that claims to have christian values and mores and then turn around and deny health and education is not a christain nor even something close to being a caring human being.
Okay, so Perry just pointed and said:
"Yeah!! He does it too! I give them college money, he saves their lives!!!".
Great, get rid of them both! No votes for you two!!!
He has to run from his record, he is running for POTUS. Just like he claimed he finally fired illegal yard workers "I can't have illegals working for me, I am running for public office" This guy is a slimebag period!
I have to admit, the idea of who he actually is as a candidate has become very confusing!
Romney will never take responsibility !
Why didn't any of his five sons volunteer for military service ?
@Fair is Fair !
What about Springfield declaring itself a "sanctuary city" while the Governor's Office did absolutely nothing about it?
That happened on your watch Mitt...
What's your lame, pathetic, blame-shifting, flip-flopping excuse for that?
Hey Independent from NH.... not so independent after all are you? Just so you know Romney's facts are subject to debate and are never considered iron clad. He lies like you suck up his pablum.
How typical. To please the Right, Romney has to deny one of the few really decent things he did as Massachusetts Governor.
This is too funny:
"Are you looking for work? Underemployed? Fearful that your job is next on the chopping block? Up to your eye balls in credit card bills? Savings vanished?
Support the guy who really knows how to turn around America.
Support Mitt Romney."
Wow, does he also remove lipstick stains and hide visible panty lines? Will he wipe away debts with a single stroke of the pen? Can he whip up a tasty and nutritious meal in less than 20 minutes. Talk about your "Messiah" and "Annointed One"!!! I think you may need a check up, dude.
On behalf of the rest of illegals around the country, Gov. Romney we would like to thank you for giving us a job, so we can support or families back in our home country, and giving our families here in the US free health care. We know your Dad was a Mexican national as are many members of your family, so you are just taking care of your countrymen here in the states.
We hope you intend to keep up the good work after you get elected president to do this on a national level, and we will be thankful. We look forward to you providing illegals with jobs, and free health care similar to the one you had in Massachusetts, which is now in place under the name Obamacare.
We would reward you with votes, but we cant vote, sorry, but we do appreciate you taking care of us as if we were your family in Mexico. Thanks again Governor, Vaya Con Dios.
John Doe Rodriguez
Independent from NH mcd to the both of you. I live in MA and under the Romneycare days. Everything in this article is true. He started the health program that we are stuck with today. Not only that but he cut programs of health care causing lost jobs in nursing and disability payments to the needy. Talked out of both sides of his mouth then and now.
Yeah. God-forbid we should ever give healthcare to a fellow human being in need. As bad as that is, what about all of us "legal citizens" who can't get healthcare? Open your eyes, people. We're being sold down the river by these greedy, self-consumed industry shills. They're all bought and paid for by the Koch brothers, promoting their pathetic concept of life on Earth. I mean really. How much money do these clowns need, and how much longer will we put up with this crap before we seize everything they've got and throw them into the tax bracket the rest of us live in? Where's Robin Hood when you need him?
This brings back the question from a Republican debate... If a person has no health care insurance do you let them just die? How about the children of illegal immigrants? Conservatives pretend to practice the teachings of Jesus Christ and yet they can't answer this question?
This is an example of why I see Christianity as a joke. I like the super hero but his fan club sucks.
if americans do not have health care needs to be in the hospital who pays -or is it free
MCD
Did you even read the article???? What you've just said was what the Romney camp stated to deflect blame. If you read the article you would see that the provision in question was implemented by Romney when the program took off. How can you try to spin something, where the truth is a mere 12 inches up on your screen. You should really jump...
There's a presidential move for ya! Blame someone else! Must be a Republican. At least Governor Patrick did something Romney never did: stand for re- election, and win into the bargain, so it obviously has not hurt him to expand the coverage.
Are there ANY politicians left who own their decisions anymore. I'm ready to care EVEN LESS about party affiliation and just vote for someone who defends their decisions, right or wrong I don't even care anymore. The argument about healthcare for illegals is IRRELEVANT, just make an informed decision and stand by it! It's like these candidates (of ALL sides) glad-hand eachother and pat eachother on the back for a great decisions they made as governers or senators, but as soon as they go campaigning in a state that's not their majority, or hear some loudmouth from the opposite party raise alarm, they run and candy-coat and rationalize, and apologize and backpedal. What is it about this country that makes high-profile people petrified of admitting they were wrong? Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, GW Bush, Cheney, etc. Do Americans need (or expect) the President to be infallible? Because the world has a Pope already. Is the best politician one that has NEVER made a mistake? Ever? Or maybe just someone that has, but just never owned up to it?
Regarding the issue itself, I think we should look a little deeper. Is illegal immigration a problem, yes. Are there people abusing the system, yes. But lets acknowledge the flip side. There are plenty of American citizens who abuse the welfare system, so lets not pretend illegal immigrants are the only ones doing it. Most states still don't require motorcycle riders to wear helmets. Do you know how much it costs to sustain a persons life after a paralyzing crash? Moreover, most of the illegal immigrants are working jobs that Americans WON'T work, because somehow the same low level job that we used to call an "opportunity" for some reason we call it "humiliating". So this is a newer problem but an old argument.
Anyway, does anyone remember the Bush/Kerry debates when the Repubs killed Kerry for being a "flip-flopper"? That's how America treats someone who owns up to mistakes? When you REEXAMINE a bad decision, with the benefit of hindsight and realize you were wrong, and then change your course of action, that's GOOD. That's PROGRESS! That's LEARNING! That's learning from history so you're NOT doomed to repeat the same mistake. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a Kerry fan, nor was I back then, but the point still holds true.
Imagine if you were one of the aforementioned illegal immigrants. You came to America for the same reason every other American did, for a chance at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It's essentially impossible for you to achieve citizenship legally, and your home situation was dire, so you had to go. You landscape, wash dishes, clean bathrooms, you know, all the jobs most Americans are too prideful or lazy to do. You do all of this for very little money. This might sound a lot like YOUR family story (wink). While putting in a days work you get severely injured. You go to the hospital, in total fear of course. This is where the story (and your life) ends because the hospital doors were locked, just for you. Now imagine you're that person's child, who speaks English and can understand the people in suits on TV talking about what a great idea it was to scrap that piece of legislation.
So the point is, on paper I agree with Romney, but it doesn't matter because Romney doesn't agree with Romney. The mere fact that he endorses or rebukes his past decisions depending on who's vote he's pursuing at the moment, is reason enough for me to lose respect for him. You're a man, and a candidate to run the government of the most powerful nation in the free world, so make a damn decision, own it, and live with it.
Romney is no Republican.