Here is one of many good reasons to forget about Romney in ‘08.

Here is how it would work. Massachusetts now spends about $1 billion a year to provide emergency health care for at least 500,000 uninsured citizens. About 200,000 of those are young people, predominantly male, who are making enough money to buy health insurance but figure they don’t need it. They would be required to buy a relatively inexpensive health insurance policy, with higher deductibles and co-pays—that’s where the “mandate” comes in. Another 100,000 are extremely poor people who are eligible for Medicaid; a concerted effort would be made to bring them into the system. The remaining 200,000 are the people who have been most neglected by the system in the past: the working poor, people who have low-end service jobs or work part time for employers who don’t offer health coverage.

Of course this idea would start in the People’s Republic of Taxachusetts. I already have questions on this proposal. How much is this “relatively inexpensive” policy and how long will it remain “relatively inexpensive”?

Oh, and look whose going to donate!

The Bush Administration will kick in another $1 billion, over three years, to make the experiment work if Romney can get a suitable proposal through his state legislature.

There’s that “conservative”, small government loving President of ours again. Never saw that one coming.

But here’s the real meat and potatoes of it all, the part that really shows how out of touch Romney is:

“Our plan would cost the poorest eligible families only about $2 per week in premiums,” Romney said. “The more you earn, the more you pay.” Sounds simple enough. So why hasn’t it been tried before? Because interest groups on the left and right hate the idea. Conservatives don’t like the mandatory part: if a 28-year-old software designer doesn’t want to buy health insurance, why should the government force him to do so? Simple answer: fairness. The rest of us pay for it now when he drives his motorcycle into a tree and runs up a huge medical bill. Health insurance should be no different from auto insurance, a basic civic responsibility. There’s also a larger argument for the common good: the more healthy young people are paying into the system, the lower the premiums for everyone else.

Catch the key phrases here: “The more you earn, the more you pay.” “A large argument for the common good“. “the more healthy young people are paying into the system, the lower the premiums for everyone else.”

This is Socialism is at its finest, folks. Not only will the loyal subjects of the People’s Republic be forced to buy healthcare coverage whether they want it or not, they will have to pay more for it as they become more successful in life. Of course, the policy coverage will still be the same. Additionally, people who do not feel the need for healthcare coverage will now be forced to buy it so that other people can have a lower premium. Yeah, that sounds real fair to me.

This clearly is another example of government overreaching its bounds. The government has no business being involved in anyone’s healthcare to begin with and now they want to require it whether you want it or not? Klein also makes a point that health insurance should be no different than auto insurance and is everyone’s civic responsibility. What an assinine statement. The point of requiring auto insurance, which I never opposed, was to make sure that if someone messes me or my car up in an accident they are going to be able to foot the bill. My health insurance doesn’t cover someone else that I might do harm to, so this is an apples and oranges argument.

Oh, Mitty, say it ain’t so. I don’t need to know much more about you to know that you are clueless as to what limited government means. Forget about ‘08. Hopefully, your plan will get flushed down the same toilet as Hillarycare, but we are talking about Massachusetts, so these are hard odds to call.

And where have I heard that reference to the “common good” before. Oh, yeah, that’s right:

“Many of you are well enough off that the tax cuts may have helped you. We’re saying that for America to get back on track, we’re probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.” - Senator Hillary Clinton, June 29th, 2004, speech at fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer.

My name is Sam Berninger. I am 31 years old and reside in Rock Hill, South Carolina. I am a project analyst for US Bancorp. I have been very active in politics for several years, starting out as a Democrat when I was younger and naive and eventually becoming a Republican in 2003. I suppose I am more libertarian minded than some of my colleagues on certain issues, but overall I believe that America unlocks its greatest potential when the government is limited and out of our lives. A limited central government, lower taxes, and a strong defense are the cornerstones the give us the opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and we can never allow our party to abandon these fundamental beliefs.

Joe G. Biles is Precinct 5 Chairman for the Lubbock County Republican Party and a former legislative aide to State Representative Carl Isett, sponsor of the Texas Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) and President of the Texas Conservative Coalition. Joe currently does political polling for Texas Tech University’s Earl Survey Research Laboratory.* He also serves as Northwest Texas Area Director for the Texas Federation of College Republicans (TFCR). Joe previously served two terms as President of the College Republicans of Tech and one term as Vice Chairman of Development and Operations for the TFCR.

Other Political Experience

• Intern with U.S. Congressman Larry Combest (2003)
• Intern with U.S. Congressman Randy Neugebauer (2003)
• Texas Youth Co-Chair for Bush-Cheney ‘04 (2003-2004)
• County Coordinator for Texas Supreme Court Justice Steven Wayne Smith (2003-2004)
• Recipient of the “Ronald Reagan Future Leaders Scholarship” from the Phillips Foundation (2004-2005)

Joe graduated cum laude from Texas Tech University in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and a minor in Political Science. He is the author of In History’s Shadow: Lee Harvey Oswald, Kerry Thornley & the Garrison Investigation.

*Joe’s views do not represent those of Texas Tech University or the ESRL.

Iran is only months away from having the bomb. Of course the UN is against any “non-diplomatic means” to resolve this problem. Talking has obviously failed, but my greatest fear is that we have no plan in place to strike a fierce and disabling blow at Iran. I am looking north towards DC for leadership . . .

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Thanks to Aakash for the nomination!

I felt that need to write this post with the increasing hostility that has flared up on some of the comment threads about candidates we support, people we choose to flame, etc. I want to point a few things out.

1. We’re not monolithic - Saying that our whole blog is wrong because what one of our bloggers wrote really makes zero sense. We add bloggers all the time, in fact, CRNC blogger alum Joe Biles, should be coming on any day now (::there was much rejoicing::), and there are few issues we all agree on, besides that the GOP needs to stand on its principles not political expediency.
2. Blogs are opinionated - We don’t claim to be objective nor totally authoritative. Rather we’re a bunch of folks who are involved in politics in one shape or another who want to share our oppinions and have them discussed. Flaming us as being schills for one candidate or another is stupid. If we were schills we wouldn’t allow comments. We want to hear your opinion.
3. Comments are for dissent not flaming (besides Alex where flaming is ok) - You don’t like an opinion one of us expresses, well then tell us in the comments thread. Build a logical case, show facts, polls, fundraising numbers, news stories, quotes, whatever and beat us in argumentation, but don’t try to build this grand conspiracy about Save The GOP working to undermine this person or that person or that we’re all tools of the DC establishment, etc. That neither helps your case, as anyone who knows us would know that’s ridiculous, but it also just stops true debate from occuring.

If I may one more time refer you to our “About” page, there you can read the vision and purpose of the blog.