Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Comments

  1. that he has line-item veto power on this bill, because it appropriates money.  He can sign almost everything but strike out individual provisions (of course, any such action is subject to a 2/3 override which will apparently be automatic).

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    That said, my guess is that he’ll sign it, declare victory, and move on.

    • Romney will sign it, but probably veto certain sections,  which will then be overridden. 

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      But an interesting aspect of this story is Romney’s view of taxes vs. assessments or fees.

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      Tuesday’s Boston Globe has an article on the bill which claimed Romney would support taxing employeers who don’t offer health care to their employees because it is an assessment, and not a tax.

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      Who is he kidding?  Do people actually believe him when he says these things?  Will the national GOP believe multiple choice Romney or will they call him on it?

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      If nothing else, I hope some journalist or even a member of the Democratic state committee will ask every Republican or conservative activist how they define taxes, fees and assessments.

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      Once Romney leaves, this vocabulary game will likely end.  But  it will be nice to have quotes to show the hypocracy in Romney followers.

      • Patients being treated like cars?  Those are not reassuring words.

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        Obviously this is not perfect, but we’re getting there. Jim Roosevelt, who represents both the pulse of the party and the insurance industry agrees. 

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        USA Today does a decent job of putting the uninsured numbers into a national context.

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  3. But here’s an interesting take from the co-founders of Physicians for a National Health Program. (Both are “primary care physicians at Cambridge Hospital and Associate Professors at Harvard Medical School.”)

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    I guess this bill is a step in the right direction, but I still have serious misgivings about this (in particular the individual mandate and pennies-on-the-dollar “assessment” on businesses).

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