[Yossarian]

In my - now 17+ year old memories of that time - I never remembered mandates coming up as a "conservative alternative" to Hillarycare.

I remember Health Care Savings Accounts (as does Santorum).

I remember allowing small companies, groups (churches) and individuals to pool together to increase buying power.

I remember tort reform.

But I sure don't remember any stinkin' "mandate"!

Newt may not be Mittens, but not by much. He'll spin a yarn at the drop of a hat.

[Jim from C-Town]

Perhaps you should check with the Heritage Foundation. It was their idea first. They since decided it was not a Conservative idea.

[hinckley buzzard]

The individual "mandate" was advanced by the Heritage Foundation. Sorry you weren't paying attention.

[BarnacleCenturion]

“I never remembered mandates coming up as a “conservative alternative” to Hillarycare.”

Newt’s efforts to rewrite history are downright dishonest.

Now he pretends to be a reaganite but at the time he said that if George Bush ran as a continuation of Reagan he would lose:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZyevTo8nhU

And according to him, FDR was the greatest president in US history:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgdzZJePL04

[newzjunkey]

Your memory is faulty. The mandate concept started at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. It’s well documented. Obama’s Justice Dept has even tried to use their past support to defend ObamaCare in court. In response, Heritage filed brief that the Justice Dept was misrepresenting its current viewpoint.