The individual mandate, a Republican idea which shows how far to the right the Dems have gone

[ProSense]

23. No

You said it, not me

By every objective view, put forth by every objective expert, the ACA is directly descended from the Republican Romneycare, which is in turn descended from the Republican Nixon proposal. So yeah, the ACA is a Republican plan, despite the fact that a nominal Democrat named Obama pushed it and signed it.

Oh, and if you think I'm picking on Obama because I'm a former Clinton or Edwards supporter, I suggest that you check out my past posts. Personally, I think that the only way to go is single payer UHC, much like they have in Canada and Europe.

...I didn't. I also have no problem with the health care law's similarity to "RomneyCare."

Legislation

In fall 2005 the House and Senate each passed health care insurance reform bills. The legislature made a number of changes to Governor Romney's original proposal, including expanding MassHealth (Medicaid and SCHIP) coverage to low-income children and restoring funding for public health programs. The most controversial change was the addition of a provision which requires firms with 11 or more workers that do not provide "fair and reasonable" health coverage to their workers to pay an annual penalty. This contribution, initially $295 annually per worker, is intended to equalize the free care pool charges imposed on employers who do and do not cover their workers.

On April 12, 2006, Governor Mitt Romney signed the health legislation.[18] Romney vetoed eight sections of the health care legislation, including the controversial employer assessment.[19] Romney also vetoed provisions providing dental benefits to poor residents on the Medicaid program, and providing health coverage to senior and disabled legal immigrants not eligible for federal Medicaid.[20] The legislature promptly overrode six of the eight gubernatorial section vetoes, on May 4, 2006, and by mid-June 2006 had overridden the remaining two.[21]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_health_care_reform#Legislation

There is a reason Romney is running away from it.

Did you support Kucinich? He voted for the health care law.

Kucinich: Supreme Court Ruling will be the Next Step toward Single-Payer Health Care

Washington, Mar 26 -

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who provided the pivotal vote in the House to pass the Affordable Care Act, today explained the Supreme Courts’ ruling will simply be the next step in the inevitable path towards single-payer health care. Today, the Supreme Court began hearing arguments as it considers the landmark health care reform bill passed in the previous Congress.

“The Supreme Court has begun its review of the Affordable Care Act, and I hope the law is upheld. I voted for the bill, even as the coauthor of the single-payer solution, because it provided immediate relief [1] for my constituents. It also demonstrated that reform is possible within the context of the for-profit system. However, in the current for-profit system, one out of every three dollars spent on health care goes toward things other than providing health care. The cost of health care continues to grow because the costs cannot be constrained within the context of that for-profit system. Whether the Supreme Court upholds the law or strikes it down, single-payer is the only alternative that can meet our nation’s needs,” said Kucinich.

Congressman Kucinich is the coauthor, along with Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), of H.R. 676, Medicare for All. H.R. 676 would cover everyone in the U.S. for all medically necessary services with no copayments, premiums or deductibles, for the same amount we currently pay for health care.

“The fundamental question for Americans is whether health care is only for those who can afford it or whether health care is human right. I believe health care is a fundamental right of every American and we have found that when we treat it as such, it becomes more affordable for everyone.

“Congress has shown an appetite for single-payer. I introduced an amendment to the Affordable Care Act in 2009 in the Education and Labor Committee. The amendment, passed on a bipartisan vote but stripped from the bill, would have helped states pursue single-payer if that is what their residents wanted. My amendment was one of the first single-payer legislative victories in Congress. It won’t be the last.”

http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=287135