Has anyone ever told you that Romney used to be a left-wing Republican in 1994 who “ran to the left of Ted Kennedy?” Well, don’t believe it. I dug up some old footage of the 1994 debate between Mitt Romney and Ted Kennedy. Not only has Mitt Romney been consistent on opposing federally mandated health care, he took the fight to Ted Kennedy on the issue, and beat him up pretty badly about it. The transcript is below.
Romney: “I do not believe in a government takeover of the health care system, which was part of your plan. I don’t believe the American people – or even the Democratic congress – were willing to accept a government takeover health care plan, and that’s the error I think you made.
APPLAUSE
Romney: “I do not think it’s a good idea to have the federal government take over our health care system! I don’t think it’s a good idea for the government to place global budgets on a state to say how many teaching universities we’re going to have that teach medicine, how many students get to be in which specialty, how many get to be general practitioners. I don’t think it’s a good idea to have price controls set on the economy. And that was a major part of your plan.”
Kennedy: “Do you think we have too many specialists now?”
Romney: “Do I think we have too many specialists now? You know what?”
Kennedy: “Do we? Do you or not?”
Romney: “Senator, let me tell you something. I don’t think it’s the – let me tell you. Do I think so? Yes. Do I think that’s relevant? No. Do you know why? Because the free-market economy is the best at setting how many specialists we have, not some bureaucrats in Washington!”
APPLAUSE
// ]]>
