Who Is Mike Leavitt, Leading Mitt Romney's Transition Team? (making big money from Obama Care)

theatlantic. ^ | JUN 4 2012

[dennisw]

The former Bush cabinet member is a close confidant of the GOP presidential contender, but his support for a key part of Obamacare has conservatives furious.

*He has been a prominent backer of one element of Obamacare. Even as Obamacare has become the GOP's bete noire, Leavitt has vocally backed one provision of the law: state-level health-insurance exchanges. As part of the law's expansion of insurance, these exchanges allow citizens to shop for insurance from private companies, and if they qualify they can use federal subsidies to purchase coverage. Insurance companies accepted various strictures -- most notably, the ban on rejecting applicants with pre-existing conditions -- in return for the individual mandate, which broadens the pool of insurance buyers. A Leavitt aid told Politico, "We believe that the exchanges are the solution to small business insurance market and that's gotten us sideways with some conservatives." But Leavitt also has a major financial interest: His health-care consultancy has won contracts from many states to help set up the exchanges, which must be in place by 2014 (unless the law is struck down by the Supreme Court).

That has conservatives hopping mad. Prominent conservative pundit Erick Erickson wrote on Monday, "This should shake every conservative's confidence in Team Romney to really understand just how badly we want Obamacare fully repealed and calls into question the conservative bona fides of those who would staff a Romney White House when Obamacare pimps staff the campaign." Several other conservative groups told Talking Points Memo they were very concerned about Leavitt's selection for the same reason.

So while a Leavitt-led transition wouldn't guarantee a moderate Romney administration, it's not unrealistic to expect his philosophy would be reflected in the result.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I did stay on topic.

The topic is cashing in on your political position in a Presidential campaign for personal gain.

Evidently it is SOP.