Thompson Camp Attacks Romney on his Massachusetts Health Care Plan
The Thompson campaign put out an official release minutes after the debate ended this afternoon. The e-mail wasn’t touting Thompson as the winner, (that came later); instead it was questioning Romney’s pro-life position. It says that under Romney’s Massachusetts health care plan that people have access to abortions for a co-pay of $50.
The release cites several press articles, including an Associated Press report from April 12, 2006 that says Romney vetoed the expansion of dental benefits to Medicaid recipients, but did not veto the abortion co-pay.
Romney is running as a pro-life candidate, but when this initially came up over a month ago it didn’t really cause a stir. So why is the Thompson campaign bringing it up again? Romney Communications director Matt Rhoades told me that it is because we are so close to the Iowa caucuses, “we are down the stretch and it is go-time so a lot of campaigns are using a lot of misinformation.” Rhoades also said that the attack was an old one, “Governor Romney is very proud of his health care plan in Massachusetts and the attack from the Thompson campaign is using is an old attack that has been refuted before and we want to focus on the issues.”
At the time the Romney campaign released a statement trying to refute the claims. The campaign re-sent it to me today and it explains that the health care benefits package was, “developed By The Connector Authority – An Independent Body Separate From The Governor’s Office.” The release continues to say that, “under state law and court precedent, if the state is funding health care benefits it cannot refuse to provide abortion coverage.” The campaign is saying that essentially the Governor’s hands were tied.
The Thompson campaign responded saying the Governor has to take responsibility for all parts of the plan:
“Romney vetoed numerous parts of the health care plan, but allowed specific parts to remain, he can’t take credit for some of it and not own all of it.”
(Click below to hear Romney Communications Director Matt Rhoades respond to the Thompson camp accusations)
The release also responds to Romney’s claims that an independent board oversaw the health care benefits package:
“There is no indication that Romney took any proactive measures during the drafting of the legislation to ensure that abortions were not covered or, at the least, were only covered under medically necessary situations. In addition, while he was Governor, Romney had 8 of his own appointees on the Board.”
The Thompson campaign wants to try and grab pro-life voters away from the Romney camp by pointing out possible flip-flops on the abortion issue, especially now that many evangelical Christians are already flocking to Mike Huckabee. Governor Romney often talks about how he was essentially pro-choice when he ran for Governor of Massachusetts, but he now claims to have “evolved” and be completely pro-life.
Tags: Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney
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Mr thompson is free to bring up any and all questions that he think the public should know.
If Gov. Romney could veto “parts” of the health care plan, then the Thompson campaign is correct. You can’t take credit for SOME of it and not own ALL of it. Perhaps this is Romney’s “inconvenient truth.”
Wow…. now the Huckabee campaign is saying that Mitt Romney should have ignored the Legislative and Judical branches and disregarded the state/federal laws and rulings of the courts to impose his beliefs in the States health care plan. Mitt is smart enought to know the laws of the land and would nto sign a piece of legislation that would certainly be overturned by the courts. Also the last time I checked we have a three branch form of Govt… Executive, Legislative and Judicial. The more Huckabee opens his mouth the more he seems to put his foot in it. Didn’t he promise during the debate to be more carefull about what he said.
Thompson? Is he still running? I mean first he comes late to the game, and now he thinks we care what he has to say? Honestly, it is doubtable if thompson will even be here in 2008. He is like 100 years old isn’t he? Everytime he speaks I fall asleeping wondering whether or not he is going to kill over. Thompson is just boring. How is he possiblly going to get anyone excited about America when he seems like he doesn’t care whether he is there or not. Romney is the one to beat! He has the passion, desire and strength to beat the democrats in 2008! He has my vote that is for sure, and as for Huckabee he stands zero chance nationally to beat Clinton or Omaba. His good old boy personality my work in Iowa, but it is doubtful that he can gather enough support in other states to win in 2008. Romney will win IA, NH, MI, FL! GO Mitt!
FRED THOMPSON IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE THAT HAS THE EXPERIENCE AND COMMON SENSE TO TAKE THE COUNTRY FOREWARD AND DEAL WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS–LARGEST ONE BEING THE IILEGAL ALIENS INVADING THIS COUNTRY AND HAVEING ACCESS TO ALL THE GOVERNMENT “GIVE-AWAYS” AND THE TAX-PAYORS ARE FEELING THE SQUEEZE
What was Fred’s record on health care in TN. That place is a mess and it’s one of the states with the worst Health Care in the U.S. and the worst for violent crime.
Maybe he was out numbered by the crooked democraps and left for Hollywood.
Nashville is like living in a war zone. Never lived in a place with open drug markets, prostitution everywhere, people being shot daily, felons living in government assisted rentals and not being removed. The place is off the chain with crime.
Maybe Fred can get homeland security and the feds into that place.
Ironically, Fred does not seem to realize he does not really NEED to be critical of others. The only thing Fred needs to do is to discuss the HOPE for America, if he were to win. That is because America would prosper with Fred in the White House. Most of the current huge problems America is facing would be solved rapidly with a True Conservative as President. However, since most of have very little hope now, even Fred doesn’t realize this.
Hope is easy to find. The way to find it is simply to watch Newt Gingrich’s video called Red White and Blue, on http://www.AmericanSolutions.com If you watch that a few times and realize what does in fact unite Americans, you will realize we desperately need a conservative to LEAD us. Unfortunately, things are bound to get much worse before they get better. Since television has more power now than any actual group of living humans, we are all being sold out as totally out of control people who do nothing but complain. HOPE however, is right there for someone with leadership skills and knowledge to bring to the people of the USA. All Fred has to do is grab it and distribute it, with a smile. Apparently he has yet to really visualize himself in the White House. If he had, he would already be doing what I’m suggesting here.