Mitt Romney: Hey, Remember When I Said I Hated ObamaCare? Yeah, I'm Totally Taking Credit For It Now.

I try to limit my GOP bitching to one per day but I can't let this tidbit from late last week slide by.

Now it can be told!

In a Boston Globe obituary for Staples founder Thomas Stemberg, who died Friday at the age of 66, Romney attributed his focus on health care as governor to a conversation the two had shortly after his election. According to the Globe, the late businessman asked Romney why he ran for governor, to which he replied that he wanted to help people. In turn, Stemberg told Romney that the most effective way to accomplish his goals in that regard would be to ensure health-care access for everyone.

“Without Tom pushing it, I don’t think we would have had Romneycare,” said Romney, who helped Stemberg open the first Staples store in the 1980s with the backing of Bain Capital. “Without Romneycare, I don’t think we would have Obamacare. So, without Tom a lot of people wouldn’t have health insurance.”

First of all, ObamaCare didn't give a lot of people health insurance. It put a lot of people on welfare.

Of course Romney being Romney he promptly walked it all back.

Here's the thing, of course he's proud of RomneyCare and the role it played in setting the stage for ObamaCare. So much of Romney's 2012 message was based on the idea Republicans were too stupid to notice this.

To believe his walk back you have to believe that Romney eulogized his friend by saying, "without him there's no RomneyCare and therefore no ObamaCare which is totally awful and I just HATE IT SO MUCH! So when you think about it, my dear deceased friend whom I'm here to praise is really responsible for the plague on our nation we know as ObamaCare."

Anyone really think that's what Romney was doing? Now I'm sure there will be a few Romney dead-enders in the comments who say this is all perfect normal and how dare I accuse Romney of being anything but the severest of severe conservatives! But the rest of us know the truth...we were sold a bill of goods in 2012. And in 2014. And several times before that.

This year's presidential primary is simply the GOP reaping what's it's sown for so many years. Anyone tainted with the stink of GOP lies and failures is paying the price. Are Trump and Carson any better? No. The simple advantage they have is they haven't screwed people over....yet.

I know many Republicans are furious that these two candidates are doing so well and from their perspective are hijacking the party. But you know what? You can only screw people over and fail to deliver what you promised so many times before they decide to return the favor.

There's another debate this week and another chance for Team GOP to swoon over Rubio and pronounce Trump toast. Someday they might be right but after a few bad Iowa polls last week, Trump is surging in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

It's starting to get late to say it's still early.

posted by DrewM. at 12:05 PM

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