I Am One Of The 89 Million

There was considerable argument last night over Rmoney's unsupported statement that his proposed replacement for Obamacare assured coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions.

Well, apparently, he held that position for the duration of the debate and a few hours on either side of it. Via Paul Krugman, we have Sarah Kliff on Ezra Klein's Wonkblog:

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Pants on Fire!

It started with the Republican presidential candidate saying during an appearance on “Meet the Press” that he liked the Affordable Care Act’s provision that requires insurers to cover preexisting conditions, and would support something similar. Hours later, his campaign clarified he did not, however, support a federal ban against denying coverage for preexisting conditions. Around 10 p.m., the Romney camp had circled back to the same position it held back in March: that the governor supports coverage for preexisting conditions for people who have had continuous coverage.

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Please read both Krugman's and Kliff's posts; both are informative... and eyebrow-raising. In short, Rmoney lied about favoring coverage of preexisting conditions. How many Americans would fall through the cracks if continuous coverage were required to obtain coverage of preexisting conditions?

About eighty-nine million... 89,000,000.

I am among the 89 million. Many of my friends are among the 89 million. How many of those people watched the debate, but did not stay tuned for long enough to hear Rmoney's staff issue the correction? In essence, Rmoney used the way the debate is framed to swindle the American people out of preexisting condition coverage... while telling them the exact opposite.

Older Republicans and Republicans with chronic illnesses must be desperate to capture the presidency if they can vote for this chronic liar.

AFTERTHOUGHT: this phenomenon may explain in part why Rmoney effectively won the debate. Obama saw it as his duty to explain how things are and how they can be repaired. Rmoney, not the first politician to do so, feels free to promise anything... anything, true or false... if it gains him votes. Republicans promise pie-in-the-sky; what they deliver is all too often pie-in-the-face. But some Americans inevitably believe them. Suckers!