Newt Gingrich loves the Obamacare mandate [Update: Newt walks it back]

Posted 16 May 2011 in 2012 election, Obamacare, politics, stupidity
Newt Gingrich: Obama lite

Newt Gingrich: Obama lite

Just four days ago, Newt Gingrich announced his candidacy for President of the United States. And today, he proved his unsuitability to be the Republican candidate by agreeing with Obamacare’s unconstitutional mandate.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Sunday that he strongly supports a federal mandate requiring citizens to buy health insurance – a position that has been rejected by many Republicans, including several who likely will be running against him for the Republican presidential nomination.

Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Gingrich told host David Gregory that he continues to advocate for a plan he first called for in the early 1990s as a Congressman, which requires every uninsured citizen to purchase or acquire health insurance.

Gregory played a clip of Gingrich speaking during an appearance on Meet the Press in October 1993:

I am for people, individuals — exactly like automobile insurance — individuals having health insurance and being required to have health insurance. And I am prepared to vote for a voucher system which will give individuals, on a sliding scale, a government subsidy so we insure that everyone as individuals have health insurance.”
[...]
Conservative GOP critics like Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli say the mandate is unconstitutional because although Congress can regulate commerce, it can’t require people to engage in a particular “economic activity” just because they live in the U.S.
Conservative judicial experts have also taken exception to the claim made by Gingrich and supporters of the Obamacare law that mandating health insurance is the same as the government requirement to purchase car insurance, noting that driving a car is a privilege provided by states and not a constitutional right.

Cucinelli says that “buying auto insurance is voluntary, since you are only required to purchase it if you choose to drive on public roads. But buying health insurance under the new federal law is not voluntary, as you are required to buy it just by virtue of the fact that you are breathing. The federal government has never before in history exercised its regulatory power to require someone to buy a product or service as a condition of residence in the United States.”

Goodbye and good riddance, Newt. The GOP — and America — doesn’t need your brand of Neville Chamberlain-ism.

UPDATE: Now that Newt is feeling the wrath of Conservatives for his endorsement of Obamacare (and is seeing his 2012 candidacy circle the drain), he’s released a Janus-like statement in an attempt to walk it back.

I am completely opposed to the Obamacare mandate on individuals. I fought it for two and half years at the Center for Health Transformation. You can see all the things we did to stop it at HealthTransformation.net. I am for the repeal of Obamacare and I am against any effort to impose a federal mandate on anyone because it is fundamentally wrong and I believe unconstitutional.

Sounds to me like “I was against the Obamacare mandate after I was for it.”

Posted by FullMetalPatriot
12th gen. American, Constitutionalist, Harley-riding Texan, gun owner & NRA member, blogger, illustrator, Florida Gator alumnus. #TCOT

1 Comment

  1. 14 June 11, 12:31pm

    [...] Depression.” But after thoroughly shooting himself in the foot by attacking the Ryan plan and approving of ObamaCare’s unconstitutional mandate, he’s still finished in my book. Too much baggage overwhelms his [...]

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