Republican 2012 presidential contenders on the attack on new US health care law

By AP
Friday, March 26, 2010

GOP’s 2012 presidential hopefuls on health care

Republicans engaged in early jockeying in their party’s 2012 presidential nomination field have uniformly condemned a new health care law passed by a Democratic-controlled Congress and signed Tuesday by President Barack Obama.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney: “President Obama has betrayed his oath to the nation. Rather than bringing us together, ushering in a new kind of politics, and rising above raw partisanship, he has succumbed to the lowest denominator of incumbent power: justifying the means by extolling the ends… He promised better; we deserved better.”

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: “This will not stand. No one should be confused about the outcome of Sunday’s vote. This is not the end of the fight — it is the beginning of the fight. The American people spoke decisively against a big government, high tax, Washington-knows-best, pro-trial lawyer, centralized and bureaucratic health system. In every recent poll the vast majority of Americans opposed this monstrosity.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty: “Democrats rejected needed, common sense reforms in favor of an overreaching, extraordinarily expensive, government-centric plan that gives more and more control to an already bloated and bankrupt federal government.” In a letter to Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson, he asked for a review of legal issues surrounding the law’s mandate that individuals buy insurance.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: “With the president signing this unwanted and ‘transformative’ government takeover of our health care system today with promises impossible to keep, let’s not get discouraged. Don’t get demoralized. Get organized! We’re going to reclaim the power of the people from those who disregarded the will of the people… This is just the first salvo in a fight to elect people across the nation who will bring common sense to Washington.”

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour: “I hope this health care plan covers hearing aids, because it’s clear Democrats who voted for it have not heard the majority of Americans who didn’t want government-controlled health care crammed down their throats. States cannot sustain another massive unfunded mandate, senior citizens are threatened by enormous cuts to Medicare, and American taxpayers and businesses can’t afford huge tax increases in the midst of the worst economic slump since the Great Depression.”

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels: “I think a very serious mistake was made yesterday. It will lead certainly to higher taxes, higher health care costs and a much weaker economy going forward. It will force people into Medicaid. There’s no room in this bill for personal responsibility… The next governor of this state is going to be faced with massive new Medicaid costs that we don’t face now.”

South Dakota Sen. John Thune: “After more than a year of watching unemployment skyrocket and deficits explode, President Obama and Congressional Democrats finally made good today on their threat to pass a health care bill against the will of the American people. Today’s action demonstrates that President Obama and the Congressional Democrats think that their ideological agenda and perceived legacy are more important than the voice of the American people.”

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