GOP Debate: Tim Pawlenty Goes After 'Obamneycare' In Iowa (VIDEO)

When moderator Chris Wallace gave Tim Pawlenty a chance to go after Mitt Romney on health care, this time, he didn't pass it up.

During a June debate, Pawlenty declined to use the word "Obamneycare" to slam the Massachusetts health care plan Romney signed into law, even though he had used the phrase earlier, raising questions about whether he was ready to go toe-to-toe with Romney.

Tonight, Pawlenty was more aggressive: "I don't want to miss that chance again, Chris. Look, Obamacare was patterned after Mitt's plan in Massachusetts. And for Mitt or anyone else to say there aren't substantial similarities or they are not essentially the same plan -- it just isn't credible. So that's why I called it Obamneycare, and I think that's a fair label. I'm happy to call it that again tonight."

Romney cited the 10th amendment to argue that Massachusetts had the right to implement its plan, whereas the federal Affordable Care Act was an overreach. When host Chris Wallace asked where in the Constitution it says that the government can implement an individual mandate, Romney challenged Wallace:

Are you familiar with the Massachusetts constitution? I am. The Massachusetts constitution allows states for instance, to say our kids have to go to school. It has that power. The question is, is that a good or bad idea? I understand different people come to different conclusions. What we did in our state was this: We said, we're finding people are going to the hospital and getting the state to pay for them. Taxpayers are picking up hundreds of millions of dollars of costs from people who are free riders. We said we are going to insist those people who can afford to pay for themselves do so. We believe in personal responsibility. ... That was our conclusion. The right answer for every state is to determine what is right for those states, not to impose Obamacare on the nation. That's why I would repeal it.

Comments

[RaymondLuxuryYacht]

11:19 AM on 08/16/2011

"The Republicans had their big debate in Iowa. You know who the winner was? Anyone that didn't watch." – Jay Leno

[msgruvn]

01:51 AM on 08/13/2011

well spoken rex devious, well spoken.

[had410]

05:28 PM on 08/12/2011

http://www.topix.com/issue/fox/gop-debate-aug11

[had410]

05:28 PM on 08/12/2011

who won last nights debate? suprising fox poll.

[Clevelandinwi]

02:24 PM on 08/12/2011

pawlenty must be raking in the cash from the health insurance companies.

[przinck]

02:16 PM on 08/12/2011

Ya know,
I remember a documentary on Insurance Fraud I saw a Fairly long time ago. It could have been a 60 minutes, or 20/20 type News Program. It covered things like double billing Medicare, or having an extra high rate if paid by Medicare. Like going to a Body shop after a fender bender, and being told " You're going to make big bucks on this". This show had a guy, an x-postal worker, with a "BAD BACK", building a stone wall in his back yard. Moving tree trunks and LARGE stones around. And going into his doctors office ACTING like a cripple. At the end of the show they said this guy was convicted of insurance fraud and in jail. AND THEY STILL HAD TO SEND HIM HIS CHECKS EVERY MONTH.
I think we need more shows like this, to show off fraud in the systems. And put a stop to it. This would certainly help in lowering health care costs.

[Faye Tucker]

02:06 PM on 08/12/2011

Rick Scott, wife pay less than $400 a year for taxpayer-backed health insurance

Submitted by Mike Marino on August 10, 2011 - 1:14pm

PolitiJax

By Gary Fineout
Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott, a critic of the federal health care overhaul, is paying less than $400 a year for health insurance for himself and his wife.

While Scott is accepting no salary for his job as governor, the multimillionaire and former hospital chain executive chose to enroll in the taxpayer-subsidized health insurance plan offered by the state of Florida.

Scott is among nearly 32,000 people in state government who pay relatively low health insurance premiums. It's a perk that is available to high-ranking state officials, including those in top management at all state agencies.

Nearly all 160 state legislators are also enrolled in the program that costs just $8.34 a month for individual coverage and $30 a month for family coverage.

Brian Burgess, a spokesman for Scott, confirmed the governor and his wife are enrolled in the state health insurance plan, but refused to discuss why Scott signed up. He called the governor's health care coverage "private matters."

The health insurance coverage provided to Scott used to be free for top state officials until 2010. Rank-and-file state workers pay $50 a month for individual coverage and $180 a month.. more ....... http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403455/mike-marino/2011-08-10/rick-scott-wife-pay-less-400-year-taxpayer-backed-health

[mero909]

01:41 PM on 08/12/2011

I thought Romney's explanation of his "RomneyCare" verses "ObamaCare" was sneaky. Using the 10th Amendment as justification was interesting.

[Pupadup4oBama]

03:47 PM on 08/12/2011

Funny how he was prepared with that statement

[cosmicman]

01:06 PM on 08/12/2011

Funny how the scare tactic propaganda campaign against Obamneycare motivated Republicans to give congress back to the Bushonomics Regressive Party Of No people that are killing off what's left of our economy and now the inventor of Obamneycare is their frontrunner for President. Makes you wonder what goes on in their heads.

[przinck]

12:58 PM on 08/12/2011

"What we did in our state was this: We said, we're finding people are going to the hospital and getting the state to pay for them. Taxpayers are picking up hundreds of millions of dollars of costs from people who are free riders. We said we are going to insist those people who can afford to pay for themselves do so."

Oh, is this why my 85 year old mother has a harder time getting MassHealth than people who just came over from Hati??????

[ttruckr23]

03:14 PM on 08/14/2011

Why isn't your 85 year old mother covered under Medicare?

[JNagarya]

12:47 PM on 08/12/2011

Romney was anti-choice -- until he decided to run for Massachusetts governor, at which point he became pro-choice because he knew he couldn't get elected otherwise.

Then, when he began using the Massachusetts governorship as launch pad for his presidential candidacy, he became anti-choice.

Romney is a chameleon.

Romneycare was a giveaway to the insurance monopoly, which is why he supports it. Obamacare is the same thing, but not proposed and enacted by a Republican't, so it's an abomination.

Republican'ts are so hoarding of hypocrisy it's shocking that there's enough left over to go around.

[charlie byrd]

12:26 PM on 08/12/2011

obamneycare? he only said this because as we all know from hp "republicans can't spell" !! or comprehend as far as that goes !! lmao

[timber1647]

12:15 PM on 08/12/2011

Hmmmm...Pawlenty, realizing he's a margainal candidate did what he had to do..pound the front runner.. As for Romneycare as T-Paw called it, it worked for me when my kids were in law and grad school in Mass. I liked it.

[natal plum]

12:05 PM on 08/12/2011

One of the very very unfortunate downsides to Obamacare was the opportunity given to the health insurance industry, immediately prior to passage of the act, to find ways to evade, avoid and circumvent the key provisions of the act relating to grandfathering coverage and limitations on rate increases. My particular insurer Blue Cross/keystone health Plan wholesale across the board slashed and dropped group coverage plans immediately prior to passage of the act. In return it promised to give identical coverage via individualized plans. Of course those "new" individualized plans conveniently weren't subject to the rate increase limitations of the act and the coverage that was offered was suddenly not affordable - at all. I went from expensive but adequate coverage to unaffordably expensive coverage. I and thousands like me were effectively dumped. Now at my age I have a new policy that has such a high deductible I am essentially uninsured for anything other than very serious injury or illness. Yeah, I can set up and fund my own deductibe health care account but frankly don't feel inclined to place $5,000.00 of my money in a limited use restricted account. Might just as well pay the additional $5,000.00 toward my increased premiums from my old insurer who not only circumvented the grandfathering provisions but also the rate increase provisions. Thanks for nothing Obama.

[westernmass]

11:57 AM on 08/12/2011

as a Massachusetts resident i can thank Mitt for a couple of things. 1. Romney care: he made a decent program then unlike the cons in Washington he allowed it to improved. 2. He made a point of staying out of the state of Mass. and let the Lt Governor and the people that really care about the state run it properly without any interferance.
Maybe if by some God forsaken chance he gets to be elected we will be lucky enough to have him be an absentee president like he was an absentee governor. But hopefully even a the gop voters won't allow him into the White House without a tour ticket!