DES MOINES, Iowa — Republican presidential candidate former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney reminded America that he is a wealthy man.
During Saturday night’s debate, Romney offered to bet Texas Gov. Rick Perry $10,000 that he had not said in his book what Perry claimed Romney wrote about health-care.
Discussing health-care, Perry accused Romney of saying that Massachusetts health-care law should be the model for the nation. Perry said that line was deleted in between editions of the book. Romney claimed he never explicitly advocated that it should be used by other states.
“Rick, I tell you what. Ten thousand bucks?” Romney said, extending his hand. “Ten-thousand dollar bet?”
Perry responded: “I’m not in the betting business, but I’ll show you the book.”
Romney’s campaign subsequently sent out an email titled, “Why Rick Perry Didn’t Take The Bet.”
That email from Romney’s campaign includes this line from PolitiFact.com, which said it’s true Romney edited his book, but never explicitly said other states should use it. PolitiFact.com wrote that the “line that advocated the Massachusetts model as a strong option for other states was replaced by a shorter, more generic sentence.”
Interestingly, Romney’s church is opposed to gambling: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is opposed to gambling, including lotteries sponsored by governments. Church leaders have encouraged Church members to join with others in opposing the legalization and government sponsorship of any form of gambling.”