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Romney Sells Health Care Plan in Iowa

November 20, 2007 6:58 PM

ABC News' Matt Stuart Reports: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney returned to Iowa today trying to sell his health care plan to voters, and cracking a few jokes along the way.

Speaking to a crowd of over 300 doctors and medical students, Romney described the health care plan in Massachusetts and his national healthcare plan to "bring market dynamics to healthcare."

Using a PowerPoint presentation, the former governor outlined the key points in his plan, claiming that it was designed "to get everybody in this country insured. My estimate that from the time you would put in place this program, pass the legislation necessary to put in place this program, within in four years every American would be insured."

Romney, appearing at ease speaking about his healthcare plan, also wasn’t afraid to crack a few jokes.

Upon turning on the massive projection screen, Romney joked "those guys in high school, the nerds with the AV, they're doing a good job here."

Later, in speaking on those getting healthcare without insurance, Romney quipped, "Americans aren’t stupid are we? If someone's handing it out for free here like lunch today, why pay for it?"

Romney took questions from the audience, including one who tacked on a "P.S. You have a very nice voice," to their question.

One audience member, in a carefully worded question, questioned Romney on the issue of women's "rights over her own body." Romney diverted, first saying he would keep women safe by combating Al Qaeda and others that seek to make women second class citizens, before stating that he was pro-life, a position he first took in 2005.

Notably, Romney didn't mention Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, who first tried to enact health care reform as First Lady in 1993, until questioned by a reporter after the event about President Bill Clinton recently taking responsibility for the plan's failure.

Romney claimed that "its very nice of President Clinton to try and take the blame for things that happened in the past but she’s the one who’s running for President now," adding that "she’s gonna have to stand up and defend "HillaryCare" version 1.0 and version 2.0." Romney often refers to Sen. Clinton’s plan as "HillaryCare" or "socialized medicine."

Romney was also asked if creating a new "quasi-governmental agency," for poor Massachusetts residents to purchase insurance through constituted increasing the size of government. Romney argued it didn't, that "it's a very small group of people, if you will, doing the work of insurance companies…servicing the individuals and the insurance companies are paying for it."

Finally, when asked if the Massachusetts plan's inclusion of a tax penalty for those who don’t purchase insurance was in fact a tax hike, Romney claimed that that provision was included by the Massachusetts legislature, "My proposal was buy insurance if you can afford it or pay your own way. And, the enforcement mechanism as a I recall related to drivers license availability. The legislature said no, we’re gonna have an insurance fee."

November 20, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (0)

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