We predicted Republicans would be taking credit for the health care law someday. Someday arrived for Mitt Romney.
In the Boston Globe today, there's an article about the death of Staples founder Thomas Stemberg, who was a long-time friend of Romney.
According to the article:
Romney said that shortly after he was elected, Mr. Stemberg asked him why he ran for governor. Romney said he told him that he wanted to help people, and Mr. Stemberg replied that if he really wanted to help, he should give everyone access to health care, which Romney said he hadn’t really considered before.
“Without Tom pushing it, I don’t think we would have had Romneycare,” Romney said. “Without Romneycare, I don’t think we would have Obamacare. So, without Tom a lot of people wouldn’t have health insurance.”
Emphasis mine.
This from the man who once swore to dismantle the ACA.
Sure, he was saying something nice about his dead friend, but the way I read this, he thinks Obamacare is a good thing. After all, without it, "a lot of people wouldn't have health insurance." The same thing may be said about a Romney presidency.
UPDATE: This is too good. In true Romney fashion, he now says he would still repeal the ACA:
Getting people health insurance is a good thing, and that’s what Tom Stemberg fought for. I oppose Obamacare and believe it has failed. It drove up premiums, took insurance away from people who were promised otherwise, and usurped state programs. As I said in the campaign, I'd repeal it and replace it with state-crafted plans
To sum up, Romney would like to credit Stemberg for pushing him to pursue Romneycare, Romneycare is the basis for Obamacare, so Romney thinks Stemberg deserves credit for Obamacare (without which a lot of people wouldn't have insurance,) but Romney opposes Obamacare and would still like to repeal it.
If that isn't Mitt Romney in a nutshell, I don't know what is.