Jon Huntsman’s campaign is taking it to Mitt Romney. Their new anti-Romney site, $10K Bet, features the above video. And now, the Huntsman campaign says they have “unearthed press releases from Mitt Romney’s 2008 campaign” which they say demonstrates Romney “would have lost the $10,000 bet he offered to Rick Perry during Saturday nights ABC News debate in Iowa.”
As you might recall, during Saturday night’s debate, Perry told Romney: “I read your first book and it said in there that your mandate in Massachusetts should be the model for the country. And I know it came out of the reprint of the book. But, you know, I’m just sayin’, you were for individual mandates, my friend.” (This prompted Romney to offer a $10,000 bet.)
Putting aside questions over Romney’s book, I got an early look at one of the old Romney press releases that Team Huntsman is now distributing, in which the Romney campaign referenced earlier releases and news stories touting his health care legislation.
Here are a few key excerpts (PDF is here):
Governor Romney: “[M]y plan calls for a personal responsibility principle: Everyone must either become insured or maintain adequate savings to cover their medical expenses.” (Governor Mitt Romney, Op-Ed, “Health-Care Reform Gets A Fair Shake,” Boston Herald, 6/21/05)
That seems to be the textbook definition of a mandate …
The release then goes on to say,
Gov. Romney’s Success At Reforming Health Care In Massachusetts Works As One Possible Model For Other States. “As Governor of Massachusetts, Governor Romney successfully led the effort for comprehensive health care reform, and he recognizes that the federal government must do what it can to facilitate effective change at the state level. His reforms will give states greater flexibility. But Governor Romney’s conservative reforms also make the states true partners in the effort to expand access to affordable, quality health insurance.” (Romney For President, “Expanding Access To Affordable Health Care,” Press Release, 8/24/07)
(Emphasis mine.)