A Romney Story the Right Will Choose to Ignore

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That story is Romney Praises Israel’s Socialized Health Care System.

Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney offered praise for the Israeli health care system today — a medical plan that has been socialized since its founding in 1948.

Romney, who championed the Massachusetts health care mandate, but is an opponent of the federal mandate passed by President Barack Obama, marveled at how little Israel spends on health care relative to the United States.

“When our health care costs are completely out of control. Do you realize what health care spending is as a percentage of the GDP in Israel? 8 percent. You spend 8 percent of GDP on health care. And you’re a pretty healthy nation,” Romney told donors at a fundraiser at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, speaking of a health care system that is compulsory for Israelis and funded by the government. “We spend 18 percent of our GDP on health care. 10 percentage points more. That gap, that 10 percent cost, let me compare that with the size of our military. Our military budget is 4 percent. Our gap with Israel is 10 points of GDP. We have to find ways, not just to provide health care to more people, but to find ways to finally manage our health care costs.”

Romney has explained that he opposes ObamaCare because what worked in Massachusetts may not work for other states. Highlighting the success of the Israeli system — in a country that enjoys one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world — could complicate matters for Romney at home.

It’s possible Mittens didn’t understand that Israel has socialized medicine, or he might have kept his mouth shut. This reminds me of the time Rush Limbaugh said that if Obamacare passed he’d move to Costa Rica, obviously not realizing that Costa Rica has a socialized health care system.

See also Israel’s Health Care Outpaces U.S.

The heated debate over health care reform, reignited by the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President Barack Obama’s plan, has drawn attention, once again, to the issue of government involvement in health care management and the effectiveness of a system based on universal coverage.

For Israel, this is a Rubicon crossed long ago. Despite the country’s mania for most things American, when it comes to health care, Israel chose a system based more on the European model. The government’s role is central as both funder and regulator. Yet, going by many indexes of health outcomes, the result in terms of quality of care is often better — and definitely cheaper than in the U.S. Under the Israeli system, the percentage of the country’s gross domestic product going to health care is less than half that of the United States. And coverage is universal.

See also Romney Praises Israel’s Universal Health Care System, Which Includes Individual Mandate

14 thoughts on “A Romney Story the Right Will Choose to Ignore”

  2. The Right will choose to ignore it, but I’m pretty sure the Obama campaign won’t.

    You know, in an informal poll I’ve conducted, I’ve found that approximately 100% of Obama supporters are eagerly anticipating the debates. I haven’t been able to calculate a number for the Romney supporters, due to insufficient data.

  3. approximately 100% of Obama supporters are eagerly anticipating the debates

    I certainly won’t reduce that percentage. I plan to make snacks, get comfy, and laugh a LOT, even if Mittens doesn’t wink cutely at the camera like whats-her-sleaze did.

  4. Don’t worry, for the debates, they’ll bring out W’s old jacket – the one with the rectangular device that allowed someone in a back room to provide answers to questions, so the stupid, gaff-prone candidate, who (probably) didn’t understand the question, also didn’t say what’s really on his mind.

  5. I don’t understand this:

    “That gap, that 10 percent cost, let me compare that with the size of our military. Our military budget is 4 percent”

    What the f#ck does that mean? What does our military budget have to do with reducing healthcare costs? Maybe he’s signaling that if we reduce our healthcare to 8% we can spend 14% on guns and ammo? Maybe that goes over well in the War state of Israel? I think this guy is a bigger idiot than even GWB!

  6. “Romney has explained that he opposes ObamaCare because what worked in Massachusetts may not work for other states.”

    Mittens again “disses” all states other than Massachusetts.

  7. gulag: I picture W being in the back room on the radio giving him pointers…
    “Smirk!”
    “Furrow your brow and say ‘rooting out terrorism!”
    “Deep breath! Say terrorism!”
    “Now raise your…ah heck, Dick, what’s this mean…divide by zero?”

  8. Well, this ought to help Obama in the debates, provided he has the unmitigated gall to let the “American People” know that they are paying for health care for God’s finest little pumpkins while they go without and the righties try to find a way to kick US Americans off food stamps and unemployment.
    This is REALLY fucking funny, even Nancy Pelosi backs down like a wounded pup when asked why we have this UNCONDITIONAL love affair with Israel.
    Well, the reason is obvious; if you are running for ANY office beyond you local school board, you’d better slap on a beanie and go to the wall or FORGET-A BOUD-IT!
    That ain’t anti semitic, it’s the truth (just ask “Shelly” ).
    Sadly, it’s all about the money, and Washington has the ugliest hookers on the planet.

  9. I don’t think I ever imagined that Mitt is more stupid than Bush. Boy, is that a low bar.

  11. Oh, today, Mitt mentioning inferior “cultures,” referring, of course, to the Palestinians.

    And, in doing so, Mitt also insulted Mexico and Ecuador.

    http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/romney-comments-on-palestinians-draw-criticism/?smid=tw-thecaucus&seid=auto

    “For instance, the campaign said, after mentioning the per capita G.D.P. of Israel and Palestine, Mr. Romney also said: “And that is also between other countries that are near or next to each other. Chile and Ecuador, Mexico and the United States.”

    After appearing in England, he was “Mitt, the TWIT!”

    Now, in leaving Israel, to anyone who’s not and Israeli, but using their vernacular, “Mitt’s, a PUTZ!”

    I can hardly wait until he does something stupid in Poland, and we complete the trifecta of Mitt’s foreign “Charm Offensive,” and he’s called “The VILLAGE IDIOT!!!”

    Mitt’s starting to make W look like a feckin’ diplomatic genius!

    Oh, and Mitt forgot to mention Canada, whose people now earn more than Americans.
    What’s that you say about “countries that are near to or next to each other,” Mitt?
    I CAN’T HEAR YOU?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

  12. Every country with a national health care plan pays about half per capita than does the USA. Every one. The rightwing loudly says No We Can’t! I say yes we can, America. We have a start; we should make it better.

  13. I was “shocked” that Romney had read “Guns, Germs and Steel” I hope he reads “Collapse”.

  14. I second goatherd’s suggestion. “Guns, Germs, and Steel” was a fantastic read, but “Collapse” had much more of an impact on me.

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