WH gets unexpected backup: Romney camp says it's a penalty, not a tax

Politico ^ | 7-2-12 | DONOVAN SLACK

[raulgomez05]

Prominent Dems including White House chief of staff Jack Lew and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi have repeatedly argued in recent days that the fee for not buying insurance under the health care law is in fact a penalty and not a tax.

They got support from an unexpected quarter on Monday: the Romney campaign.

Mitt Romney's senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom told Chuck Todd on MSNBC's Daily Rundown that he agrees - the fee is a penalty and not a tax, as the Supreme Court ruled last week.

"The governor disagreed with the ruling of the court," Fehrnstrom said. "He agreed with the dissent that was written by Justice [Antonin] Scalia, which very clearly stated that the mandate was not a tax."

[sickoflibs]

RE :”Mitt Romney's senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom told Chuck Todd on MSNBC’s Daily Rundown that he agrees - the fee is a penalty and not a tax, as the Supreme Court ruled last week.
“The governor disagreed with the ruling of the court,” Fehrnstrom said. “He agreed with the dissent that was written by Justice [Antonin] Scalia, which very clearly stated that the mandate was not a tax.”

Who??

Romney's problem is he is on youtube saying that his MA mandate was not a tax. So how can he call this a tax?
Pitfalls of a RINO

[raulgomez05]

if Romney “knows” this is a tax he should contradict his senior adviser.

[KansasGirl]

Romney agrees with the dissenting opinion as do I and most other FReepers. ROMNEY PROMISES TO REPEAL THE LAW! That’s all I need to know. Now, get lost Obama shill.

[raulgomez05]

I never said Romney disagreed with the dissent, dummy.

[throwback]

I believe they have clips of Romney making the same arguments about Romneycare and his mandate that Obama has made about Obamacare. He really has nothing to say on Obamacare which is one of the reasons he was the worst choice this time around.

[Perdogg]

You must be an 0bama supporter for pushing Politico’s out of context garbage.

Politico is an 0bamatron mewspaper.

[Tennessee Nana]

They got support from an unexpected quarter on Monday: the Romney campaign.
__________________________________________

LOL

No not unexpected...

youre speaking of Willard of RomneyCare after all..

[Rapscallion]

We want government OUT of health care.

Actually that is the very best solution. All US government out of health in every way. Let the market do it. There will be a period of adjustment but ultimately such an approach will succeed.

[Lady Heron]

bullsht, this Politico spinning for its master

Anybody who believes Romney will do anything to bolster republican ideas is living in a dream world. He will do nothing but support dem positions where ever he finds them...just take an honest look at his history. Campaign to the right lead to the far left...He and his family are dem through and through, for some strange reason he just stuck rep. in front of his name. No way is he going to anything against Romneycare and Obamacare is built on his blueprint....he will never attack his own legacy of leading this country down the path of socialism.

[Labyrinthos]

The problem is, if it’s a tax for purposes of the courts it stands.

If it is not a tax for the purpose of legislative repeal, it stands.

It seems that the Alinsky-ites are going to ram this home and force it on us, no matter what.

"Heads I win, tails you lose."

[Buckeye McFrog]

Agreed. I think this adviser said that Romney agreed with Scalia and not Roberts and Politico is trying to spin that.

[Perdogg]

How is your statement relevant the conversation?

[mo]

ObamaCare won’t go away unless We the People go yank it out by the roots. Personally. Nobody in DC will unring that bell.
The whole deal is simply too good for them

[ConservativeDude]

Right.

And mostly this will leave Republicans scratching their heads wondering just how they got snookered so easily

[Las Vegas Ron]

BTTT!

[BitWielder1]

Penalties should be enacted only for actual wrong doing.
I like the fact that it's now legally a tax, but it's wrong to use the tax code for punitive purposes.
Due Process and personal freedom is completely forgotten.
And the WH is not listening.
The fact that the Supreme Court have now changed the meaning of the law, matters not at all to those who had no intention of following the law in the first place.
Remember, they're all lawyers, twisting law is their profession.

[Perdogg]

yes, but there has to be a law passed in Congress to allow interstate portability of insurance. Romney is in favor of this.

Goverment can implement policies to allow free market choices.

[torchthemummy]

From the article:

"While Fehrnstrom diverged from that line of attack, he took issue with President Obama's various positions on the tax vs. penalty issue, saying that Obama first said it wasn't a tax to get it through Congress, then argued at the Supreme Court that it was, before switching again and arguing that it wasn't."

[Gay State Conservative]

if Romney “knows” this is a tax he should contradict his senior adviser.

The point is that this issue is irrelevant to the campaign.The voters know that they don't like OsamaObamaCare for many reason...one of which is that it's gonna cost them very serious $$$$.It doesn't matter whether they call it a skunk or a weasel...it's still wildly unpopular and that's all that matters.

[dead]

LOL No not unexpected... youre speaking of Willard of RomneyCare after all..

You're faulting Romney for agreeing with the conservatives on the court?

What would you have said if he agreed with the liberals on the court?