Romney Claims the Reasonable Alternative Mantle

Predictions of Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's genuflection to the anti-ObamaCare fanatics of his party missed the mark.

Instead, the man who would be the crown prince of the GOP, gave a full-throat-ed defense of his authorship of his adopted state's health care program.

It is more than ironic that Mr. Romney's biggest difficulty in his quest to become President is that his solution to the health-care challenge became the model for the national solution.

Mr. Romney's real problem is that he led the wrong party to the wrong solution. Mr. Romney's solution actually became the "compromise" solution eventually and grudgingly adopted by the Democrats in the face of passionate and nearly unanimous opposition by the GOP and their vocal tea party activists. Talk about losing the love.

Poor Mr. Romney finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. In another place and and another time he might be the newest hero of his party. He offered a national health-care solution to a nation begging for relief. Keeping with his party's principals, his plan ensures good profits for Big Pharma, Big Medicine, and Big Insurance. It actually keeps in place the private health insurance system for another generation. This will allow health providers to continue to skim off profits at the expense of the sick and at the cost of employers. It's the way we do it here.

More importantly, his plan recognizes the need to hold people individually responsible for managing their health care insurance and requires an individual mandate (what he called a "bond" payment of  about $125/mo). He didn't want poor people sucking off the public teat by showing up at emergency rooms without insurance - what Republican would?

Even better, his plan kept the hated G'uvment out of our health care decisions (at least until we are 65 or thereabouts, almost) and gave that power to our insurance companies - where, of course, we all know it really belongs.

It is almost as if Mr. Romney lived too close to Senator Edward Kennedy, whose life long passion was national health insurance. Mr. Romney's Republican businessman instincts kicked in, he got right with his party orthodoxy, he joined them as they fought the hated Ted Kennedy and his ilk.

As if inspired by God himself, Mitt led his state and then the nation to a market-based, capitalist, free-market solution. If the opposition had their way -- don't they know -- we would now be living under "Medicare for all" He should be a hero. The GOP nomination crown should be shining in the light as he basks in his glory.

Unfortunately, for Mr. Romney, President Obama was willing to settle for Romneycare and make it his own - much to the consternation of his own party. Curses foiled again! He was out-compromised by a dude from Chicago!

Now he will pay the price with his few fellow remaining moderate party members. <crickets>. Watch the hanging if you wish. The prince will lose at least his crown.

Mr. Romney rightly acknowledges that he has little choice but to say he did the best job he could. Who would want a President didn't do the best job he could? Who would want such a royal screw-up leading the country? (Note to Mr Pawlenty:Re Cap & Trade, see Bush, George W. - admit No Screw-ups). 

There is at least one upside to Mr. Romney's grudging acceptance of his place as father of Obamacare. Now Mr. Romney can quibble about states rights and give out waivers and other side implementation tweaks for a solution that he fought for as an "on-the-ground" governor. Now he can also claim to be the sane one of the GOP crowd -- free of the need to bow to the rabid wing of the party about an issue that is so last year. That is, unless he can't.

At some point the GOP will need to decide if they are going to nominate someone who can fight for purple states with President Obama. Mr. Romney kept himself in the running if they want to compete for the middle of American politics. If the GOP is about defending the loss of the health-care debate, Mr. Romney can pack his bags back to Boston.

Perhaps moderate independents disappointed  with Mr. Obama (and not sucked into the next draft Ron Paul movement), might be looking to draft a fallen prince to a 3rd party as the GOP implodes -- just to keep things interesting.

On the other hand, maybe Mr. Romney should consider keeping his bags packed for Boston -- or perhaps he will settle out west -- isn't that where the sun sets on former moderate Republicans?