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TOLEDO, OH -- Mitt Romney on Wednesday pointed to the health care reform law he enacted as governor of Massachusetts as proof of his empathy and care for the American people.
In an interview with NBC News, Romney referenced an element of his record he almost never invokes on the campaign trail to answer a question about how he can better connect with Americans and prove he understands the lives and trials of middle class Americans.
"I think throughout this campaign as well, we talked about my record in Massachusetts, don't forget -- I got everybody in my state insured," Romney told NBC's Ron Allen in an interview before his rally here tonight. "One hundred percent of the kids in our state had health insurance. I don't think there's anything that shows more empathy and care about the people of this country than that kind of record."
A new CBS/New York Times poll shows Obama leading in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, Romney is focused on wooing the swing state of Ohio which has been won by every Republican who ever became president. NBC's Ron Allen reports.
Romney's health care law in Massachusetts has long been a lightning rod issue for conservatives, who unfavorably compare it to President Barack Obama's own federal law and as a damning reflection on Romney's conservative bonafides.
The former Massachusetts governor also touched on another portion of his biography that he seldom discusses to connect with average Americans: his time as a Mormon pastor.
"I think people have the chance, who watched our Republican convention, to see the lives that I've had a chance to touch during my life, to understand that as I served as a pastor of a congregation with people of all different backgrounds and economic circumstances that I care very deeply about the American people, people of different socio-economic circumstances," Romney told Allen.
Taking the stage for the final rally of his two-day Ohio bus tour moments later, Romney also spoke about the importance of compassion in his speech and said his interactions with Americans from all lots in life have shown him the greatness of America -- and that everyone has challenges of their own.
"You look around, you see everybody, they look happy, and you think everybody else is doing just fine, and you're the only one with problems. But the truth is, most people that you see have some real challenges in their life of one kind or another. I understand that," Romney said. "And I've seen that inside the heart of the American people, despite our challenges, is a conviction that this nation is the greatest nation in the history of the earth."
Reuters, Getty Images
In the final push in the 2012 presidential election, candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama make their last appeals to voters.
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Mitt Romney has more positions than the Kama Sutra.
And still not quite as many as Obama.
Gee PutAm,
That was right up there as a brilliant response as "Well, you are too!"
Or ... "I know you are, but what am I?" It's a typical Republican strategy right out of their obsolete playbook.
Wasn't trying for brilliance.....just pointing out facts for accuracy's sake.
The GOP sure has backed some bizarre candidates and running mates to presidential elections since Reagan. Look at the lineups!
And the right wingers poke fun at the "liberals". Really!!! Too funny!!!
I started to appreciate McCain until he went rogue with bizzaro Palin. WTF!!! What a phucking mess of a campaign that was. AND she is advising Romney to go rogue?!!!
I'm telling you... I love to list to the late night comedians. The Romneys, Bushes, Palins, McCains, and Cheyneys have been really great for a lot of laughs.
Keep 'em coming GOP'ers. What a bunch of loons...
Look at you own stupidity, then talk.
I work with a guy who was born and raised in Mass, he moved out 5 years ago, he told me that romneycare is almost identicle to obamacare.
I think obama stole the heathcare framework from romney... yet romney praises his health care and bashes obama's?
And the the thing that puzzles me, is I distinctly remember the republicans fighting over this bill, and inserting everything they wanted into it.. then they passed it... and now they are complaining about a bill they passed??
Go figure....
silvr..the President and the dems DID use Mr. Romney's model of healthcare for Obamacare. That's why it was such a joke when he bashed it. He was stupid, and should have taken credit for it.
Worst campaign ever. Almost feel sorry for the guy.
Maybe he is mad becuase he didn't get to sign it into law??
As I recall, Mitt Romney was a consultant in drafting the legislation.
could be, gd thinkin'!
Silver.....It has to do with the philosophy of republicans. We believe in freedom instead of direct federal government control. We are fine with letting states do what they want, but dislike the idea of the federal government mandating laws on the states. If the states want to have Romney care, great, but if they don't, then that is fine as well. It is about being pro-choice.
PutAM....Pro-choice....well, some of the time, right?
Do the counties in Mass have the option to opt out?
You are mostly correct. The Republicans got most of what they wanted in the ACA and then with a few exceptions , all voted against it. What they were most opposed to was a single payer system which would have been the most efficient and cost effective (see: Medicare) but would have cut out the insurance and drug company bazillionairs who own them lock, stock and barrel.
This has been Romney's fatal flaw going back to the primaries. His crowning achievement in his political life was the Mass. health care legislation and yet to get the nomination he has had to completely disavow the best thing he ever did. To me this makes him a well intentioned but basically dishonest candidate.
Too little, too late
Flip
Flop
obama will take over this country and we all will pay for this he is a dick tater nothing more
A dick tater???? lol
yea
That something you eat in the forest?
no dictator...you know a dick...tater
jfix, lol, now that was funny,.....
If he was Dan Quale, he'd be a po-tater
Obama is honest, caring person. Unlike Romney who is a liar. We had eight years of lies from Bush administration. We don need more. If this man can twist and lie so much during his campaign> I can't imagine what his presidency is going to look like. He is for himself and God for all. He cant be trusted He is phony.
you have no idea what is going to happen this country..it will be a 3rd world country... he takes more freedoms and rights away ....it will like living in hell obama has to go we fired him
forestgirl,
Which freedoms has he taken from you?
Obama is an honest, caring person.......very funny.....That is kind of like saying Hitler was a philanthropist.
Put,
Hitler? Really? You just can't help it can you? Pathetic.
Virginia,
You can't reason with unreasonable people. They're kind of like Romney in a way, to hell with the facts just lie and hope people will believe you.
romney will help all of us he is a good man there will be more jobs he does know how to be a good president
Keep drinking your Koch...
Today Joe Scarborough (Republican) called Romney a "horrible politician, one of the worst" on his show. Forestgirl ... me thinks you are uneducated or mentally challenged. Take your meds, dear, and go back to bed until after the election.
Since the "Total Debt Per Citizen" is now at $181,271
I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad for a friend of mine who just had a new born .
False. It's closer to $50,000 per citizen.
You are stating personal
Not total
Total debt per family is now at $683,692 .
Depends on whether or not you include projected unfunded liabilities.
ontor is correct, we have 112 trillion in future obligations thanks to Bush and 30 years of a lousy congress
only two ways to fix it.. inflation or default...
Total U.S. national debt stands at $16 trillion. Divided by the U.S. population of 314,462,709, the result is $50,880 per person.
This information isn't difficult to find. You can Google it. It is much better to deal with fact than fiction.
mitt romney and his flip flopping is getting scary. i'm starting to think this is a medical issue.
I've been saying for months, I swear I have....THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS MAN....
Yes ... there has to be a diagnosis for a congenital flip-flopper. Any psychologists out there who can help?
Well, he was going to come out as a dog lover, but that didn't get past the focus groups. So now he's caring because he championed health care for everyone. Amusing, seeing as how he vowed to repeal Obamacare. Anyway, he's a true conservative so we can't have health care for everyone and besides, 47% of the people won't vote for him anyway, so why give them health care? Not that he wouldn't like for them to have it! Look, need health care? Go to the emergency room. Can't afford college? Borrow from mom and dad. Am I sounding mixed up here? See, that's the liberal media bias. It's all Andrea Mitchell's fault.
China and Russian are churning out Engineers, Doctors, etc.. They are leaving us behind in the dust.. but they put the kids though college, because it benefits their country if they lead the future in the sciences and engineering..
henry u r too funny, dont forget Chris Mathews and Rachel Maddow and etc. etc.
Let the man roll down the window in his plane.. PLEASE
Republican Senators voting down the VETERANS job bill, real smart. You send them off to fight your battles and then screw them when they get home. just like Romney will do to Americans if president.
And don't forget that over half of our military families are on food stamps,..the very program he wants to gut.
Ryan has $11Billion in cuts to the VA in his budget. sad.
I think Romney is a likable, good guy. Just not presidential material... He is not doing well as a gladiator in the national political arena. Like his GOP critics said. If you can't beat Obama on his record... you won't be able to beat anyone.
Pretty much the end of his story...
Does anybody want WAFFLES because Mitt is serving them up!
Just gotta love MSNBC for twisting this one up too. LOL. Did Mathews write this? I can't stop laughing at this so called news agency at this point. I used to get kind of like... "wait, that's not true..." Now I just laugh. Looking through glass darkly... or something like that... LOL.
Yet here you are reading it and complaining anyway. Paul Ryan is right about one thing. Conservatives do complain a LOT.
No, not complaining.... laughing as I stated. Doesn't do any good to get upset over the lies and twists. I watch Maher too, but I watch him for the hypocracy. Its all comedy...
Funny what Mitt will say behind closed doors and then say some thing else in public
MITT THE FLIP IS A FLOP
It's funny. The Republican party conservatives didn't want Romny but got him anyway. The middle of the US hates the eastern establishment types, yet got a Harvard educated Massachusetts governor, the right wing loves a strong military, yet gets a candidate that evaded the draft, the people get slammed daily by every corporation in America, yet, get a corporate raider and the rust belt bemoans the loss of jobs to Asia, yet gets a guy who shipped the jobs to Asia. OK, jokes over, who really won the nomination,...come on,.. this has got to be a joke...........it's funny just thinking about it.
A warning for all Comrade Obama followers: Please worship the messiah in front of the Corrupt medias cameras in order to receive your ration of the full bowl of rice. Thanks for following blindly!!!!
paranoid much?
Jesse..I knowEXACTLY what you mean. I've been saying.....this guy doesnt WANT to be president....doesnt talk like it, doesnt act like it, doesnt mean a damn thing he says. Its like watching a bad funny movie.....only it's too long!!!
I think he DOES want to be president, but in his case its a hollow ambition. There isn't any core to the man - he's hollow. He says whatever he thinks he needs to say to whatever group he happens to be facing at the time.
So the man that has been running away from his health care reform all this time, is now embracing it? Wonder why.
Yet he has promised to repeal a national version of this very same law, without offering any alternative in its place, yeah, now thats real empathy.
Mitt the Mute will sell his mother to get elected..
forestgirl- Thanks for the laugh's "dick Tater" you are funny, some might say you are a "master baiter" LOL
O&JOE
Flip flop flippity floppity Flip Flop. Flop.
I guess we all knew the governor would come back from denouncing his own healthcare plan as a monstrosity to a more moderate stance.. but trumpeting it and touting it as evidence of his compassion???? Seriously?...
Here we have a whole presidential campaign based on the assumption that Americans get amnesia after one month and forget everything they knew 30 days ago, 'cause he inevitably contradicts each and every substantive statement he makes within five weeks of making it.
...and the debates haven't even started yet. If Romney keeps this up for much longer, TN and MO will be back in play. Heck, maybe IN too.
Worst. Campaign. Ever.
You're absolutely right. Romney's campaign has got to be the worst ever in U.S. history. I know it the worst I've seen in my lifetime.
I'm a democrat and a moderate to liberal, and I'm damn embarrassed for the guy at this point. The debate is going to be a disaster for him. I wish he'd just drop out or something....put himself out of his own misery.
Karl Rove has wrecked this man.
Julia,
I agree, it is embarrassing to watch him. I've learned to just turn the channel when he's speaking.
Even worse than McCain/Palin. I didn't think that was possible ... until now.
awww Mittens, you finally came around didn't you? You suddenly love Obamacare!
I would suggest to Romney that if you have to point out that you're empathetic, you're probably not.
Obama/Biden 2012
why has every obama advisor admitted it was a Al Qaida attack on 911 EXCEPT obama ?
THE FLIP FLOP BANDIT. Strikes again, Talking about giving money to NASA. he was against it in the primaries and Ryan voted against it as a Senator. That makes it a double FLIP FLOP.
yeah can you believe how he said repeatedly in the 2008 election that marriage should be between a man and woman then FLIP FLOP now he is in love with homos ?
One,
Seriously? That's the best you've got? Obama went from supporting civil unions to supporting gay marriage? Any real issues?
Virginia democrat are you on twitter? If so let me know. My twitter account is thack09