Obama says Romney's 'pretending'
(CNN) - Mitt Romney is "pretending" the health care plan he instituted in Massachusetts is different than the national plan, President Barack Obama said.
In an interview with Public Radio International that aired Thursday, Obama pointed to the similarities between the two plans, without mentioning the Republican frontrunner by name.
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"We designed a program that actually previously had support of Republicans, including the person who may end up being the Republican standard bearer and is now pretending like he came up with something different," the president said.
The Massachusetts plan served as a model for the Affordable Care Act, signed two years ago Friday. Romney, the state's former governor, has since said the legislation was the correct course for his state but not meant as a model for a national overhaul. But the plan has proved a focal point of criticism aimed at the GOP frontrunner.
In Thursday's interview, Obama said Republican opposition to the plan, including the Supreme Court challenge, is politically motivated.
He said state governors will have a difficult time explaining resistance to the law to their constituents.
"When people see that in fact it works, it makes sense – as it's, by the way, working in Massachusetts – then I think a whole bunch of folks will say 'Why aren't we trying it as well?'" Obama said.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments next week over the individual mandate provision in the law. In their opposition to the legislation, some Republican governors have refused to implement the terms until the Supreme Court rules.
Responding to the president's comments, Romney spokesperson Andrea Saul reaffirmed her candidate's plan to repeal "Obamacare ... on day one."
"Mitt Romney has always believed each state should be able to fashion their own health care reforms and, as president, he would replace Obamacare with free-market reforms that promote competition and lower health care costs," Saul said in an email.
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Republicans want everyone to have guns, and no one to have health care.
I love when they make ridiculous promises they have no ability to keep. News Flash: It will take an act of Congress to repeal Obamacare no matter who sits in the Oval Office. Either you know that Mitt and are lying, in which case you have no business being President. Or you don't know it and you're stupid, in which case you have no business being President. Either way...
I'll be glad when Santorum and Gingrich drop out so Obama and Romney can go at it, Go Mitt 2012...
doublestandard, are you serious??
Medicade is going broke providing care to the uninsured. People with no insurance clog up emergency rooms because they use it for routine care, not emergency care. The hospital isn't getting paid for services rendered from the unemployed, and must garnish the pay of the employed like your loser daughter because she won't pay when she is sent a bill. In the mean time the hospital has to absorb these costs and end up raising rates to make up for it. That affects EVERYONE. It is EVERYONES business.
Here's the irony:
Many states now have Republican majorities in the state legislatures. If the R's hate Obamacare so much, all they have to do is implement their own plans. The only requirements in doing so are that alternative plans must cover the same number of people at equal or lower cost.
Oh, I forgot. The R's don't really care about healthcare. They only want to defeat Obama....
I finally retired ahead of being able to receive Medicare. Right now I have COBRA, so my costs are the costs that my previous employer paid. Since the employer was in a "pool" the total cost for my insurance was around $500/month. I tried Blue Cross Blue Shield and the same medical coverage (minus vision and dental) would be over $1,000/month. I need affordable health care. I can't get it. I'm going to have to opt for catastrophic healthcare with a $20,000 deductible. The system is busted big time and somebody has got to do something to fix it.
President Obama and his administration continue to do remarkable work on behalf of America and the entire world.
TEAM OBAMA 2012!
If Romney repeals Obama Care he will KILLING Children and Seniors with pre existing condition and rewarding insurance Co. If a parents loose their jobs these will not be cover by any insurance co.
When Romney says states should decide he seems to mean that he would favor a mandate for all Americans if imposed by all 50 states individually, and his objection is to the federal role not the policy itself while his rivals seem to be saying it's a bad policy.
ow yea they alot alike, but look who is telling the truth.
romney needs to kick rocks..
cnn is part of main stream media, that says it all, obama is a fake, he approves keystone, is he on crack, its allready been approved, he continues to lie to the American people , i like Romney ,but anybody is better than this fungus of a president
WDinDallas....since when did someone's POLITICAL policies make him or her rich or successful???? They shouldn't! Btw, Romney is "rich" b/c he comes from money and "successful" b/c his last job was to lay off people. He also has offshore ILLEGAL accounts as tax shelters. The reason President Obama isn't as "rich" or "successful" is because he is *gasp* honest and a good person.
Pretending? Obama as a 'community organizer' and Jr. Senator with almost zero record in the Senate to speak about other than voting 'present' for two years and then campaigning full time is the first place champion of pretending.
At the end of the day who would know pretending better when he see's it except a champion pretender like Obama?
Obama full force to the Presidency. Obama/Clinton2012
@doublestandardssuck-I'm not sure what procedure your daughter had but I'd be willing to bet that the true cost of her care was over $2000. If you're in the hospital for more than a few minutes and you get a couple aspirin it could cost that much. And that's no exaggeration. By the way, you do know that Medicaid is paid for by the taxpayers as well. I think that would make it EVERYONE'S business whether someone has health insurance or not. What's that you were saying about double standards again?