Shameless

Are you really surprised, Joe?

If you mute the TV when Romney comes on, he's saying the exact same thing each and every time he opens his mouth:

"What's it going to take, to put you in this BMW today?"

"...how sad to see a smart, pragmatic and essentially moderate politician continue to embarrass himself in this way."

And just why are you surprised? Did you actually expect honesty and consistency from any candidate, especially a Republican frantically vying for the support of the right wing base which is firmly opposed to reality?

Is it just me, or on the intellectual dishonesty meter, is Romney the worst offender? McCain, I can at least understand how he became so vascillating, but I don't think Romney's former moderation was any less calculating than his current extremism. The man simply has no soul.

Hey Joe

Speaking as one of Romney's Massachusetts victims, I can assure you, he's about as moderate as Karl Rove.

Simply because he'll say absolutely anything if its what his audience wants to hear, don't make the mistake of assuming he actually believes ANY of it.

Joe, as a resident of Massachusetts, I'm forced to point out that Romney is not a moderate. He's a weathervane: he points in whichever direction the wind is blowing.

Now, about that healthcare bill. I work in the insurance industry, and I have to say that the bill does a pretty good job of adapting national healthcare to our existing private industry system (like it or not). That said, Romney was no great architect of the bill -- much of it comes from the State Senate -- and his only real role was not to veto it.

I am not sure you can call him a moderate. He acted like one in Mass, but who is to say that is anymore real than his current chest-thumping persona?

It isn’t really safe to give him a political label.

That is, unless you consider “liar” a political affiliation.

-Ben

Romney's an empty suit, end of story.

Joe, are you hiding behind this ho-hum Lobbyist dream team non-news that PhRMA, Insurance, Health care for profit, businesses that actually still provide benefits and outsourced paper pushers in India popping corks? Side Bar: India is now sucking up all the best French Champagne.

Jump in the deep water and swim with the sharks. Blackwater and all it entails. [see earlier comments on posts today]

Looks like Jeremy Scahill [Blackwater...Mercenary author] has just became the 'go to guy'. Heck, the banning of BlackWater in Iraq even got DoS, Sean McCormack behind the podium giving a statement without any eye contact. BUSTED

Sorry to break it to you, Joe, but no one should take your opinion on this or any other subject seriously until you apologize for writing Primary Colors under the craven pseudonym anonymous -- still, the biggest personal and political betrayal of trust since Judas.

It's been said before, but it behooves repeating.

Another one of Romney's Massachusetts victims, I wouldn't trust this guy not to strap a member of his own family to his rooftop and drag him all the the way to Michigan if he thought it would serve his own selfish purpose.

To dredge up an epithet from the past, if anyone deserves Imus' "Lying Weasel" label, it's Romney.

"...Clinton's plan builds on the existing employer-based system of coverage. People who receive insurance through the workplace could continue to do so; businesses, in turn, would be required to offer insurance to employees, or contribute to a government-run pool that would help pay for those not covered. Clinton would also offer a tax subsidy to small businesses to help them afford the cost of providing coverage to their workers..."

... ... ...

WOW, WHAT A SWEET DEAL.

GOVERNMENT MANDATES, HIGHER TAXES, HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT, AND AUNT SAMANTHA CALLING THE SHOTS ON JUNIOR'S CANCER SCREENING!

THIS IS GREAT NEWS FOR BELGIANS EVERYWHERE!

So much for all that lamo liberal jive about FREE HEALTH CARE under Clixon II, eh Kos Klowns?

It's hard to call Romney "essentially" anything, as far as political views go. He ran, in some particulars, to the left of Ted Kennedy in 1994, and now wants more torture and invasions. Essentially opportunist, maybe.

I expected Romney to pretend that Mass. health care bill never happened, at least during the primary, but he brought it up when someone confronted him at a NH diner. Guess he's reverting to form now.

Thing is, the GOP base is more extreme and irrational as CW has called the Democratic base since well before the original Sister Souljah moment. So when Romney says he doesn't like something Clinton said, it helps him, regardless of consistency or policy sense.

The only viable "mandate" for federal health care is to offer "free" immunizations and "free" major malady screening for kids ages -9 months to 12 years.

If you AARP elders in Vegas and Atlantic City and Tunica can't manage to save and plan for your own late term disease (communicable or not) issues, too friggin bad.

Why on Allah's green earth I have to pay for YOUR slacker health habits IS beyond Hillary.

How many gaffes does it take for someone Joe Klein dubs smart, pragmatic, and essentially moderate to be re-dubbed opportunistic, conniving, dishonest and well, sadistic? The world may never know.

"Is it just me, or on the intellectual dishonesty meter, is Romney the worst offender? McCain, I can at least understand how he became so vascillating, but I don't think Romney's former moderation was any less calculating than his current extremism. The man simply has no soul."

Personally, I'd go with Rudy when it comes to "most intellectually dishonest." I think Mike is right about Romney being an empty suit, which kinda disqualifies him from the award.... and I also think that McCain isn't being dishonest --- I think we're looking at senility/alheizmers in his case.

"Clinton's package would also require insurers to provide coverage for anyone who applies for it and would also bar insurance companies from charging people with greater health care costs more for their premiums." - Cnn.com

That is a huge difference. It also sets around legislation to these insurance companies instead of working with them to broker a deal. It is also extremely bad businees, you can't say no someone doesn't have to pay for something. Businesses can't opperate under those concessions.
Not to mention she is going to set this up not letting states work this out with insurance companies like Mit did so that is different as well.

Who is going to pony up this 110 billion a year for this thing from now on? That is an estimate and you know it will be twice that at least. Funny how she steals Mit's idea puts some spin on it and manages to mangle up the only good parts of the deal.

I can't believe you would use the phrase intellectually honest and Hillary Clinton in the same story. Didn't she vote for the war?

"This is a very difficult vote. This is probably the hardest decision I have ever had to make -- any vote that may lead to war should be hard -- but I cast it with conviction."
Hillary Clinton -Senate floor Oct 10 2002.

If you want some intellectual honesty read this and see her flip flopping and how intellectually honest she really is:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/30/209010.aspx

NEWS FLASH: Romney isn't going to win JACK SHIITE.

It will be Rudy-McCain or McCain-Rudy or Thompson-Rudy or Rudy-Thompson or McCain-Thompson.

Romney, hair gel and all, lost it with his brave comments about his brave sons licking stamps for his brave campaign.

He may as well be John HOW'S MY KID'S JEEP DRIVING Edwards, for all the GOP base cares.

What makes you think he's smart, pragmatic and moderate? He might just be cynical, power hungry and two-faced.

Mr. Klein,
Mitt-wit Romney is the poster-boy for the concept "Banality of Evil"; or, perhaps better, "The Evil of Banality".
By precept and deed, he has shown himself to have no consistent principles, except the will to power. Willing to say or do anything to win adherents and elections, he is no moderate, and has already revealed himself to be open to the worst authoritarian impulses. And let's not forget the gang of lugs and thugs he has running interference for him on the stump.
Are we to believe that you are seriously confounded by his latest dishonest idiocy? If so, you remain more blinkered than your recent (well-received) insightful postings would suggest.
But, I think you're getting there. Welcome to our liberally-biased reality.

Hillarycare: The Slacker Sequel IS officially DOA out of the lib loon gate.

It answers nothing, it offers nothing, it pays for nothing.

Her insistence on making healthy, responsible people pay for over-medicated, under exercised slackers ain't going anywhere, at any time, with any Congress.

Well, Judgement (sic), we're currently spending about $2 1/2 billion per week on the never-ending disastrous quagmire in Iraq (which was started on the basis of baldfaced WMD lies). There's 52 weeks in a year - so that comes out (roughly) to $110 billion per year. There's your money right there.

Personally, I would rather have universal health care in the U.S. rather than see 60-90 U.S. troop deaths per month in the semi-permanent occupation of Mesopotamia.

This was actually a good coulmn by Mr. Klein. But after seeing his "unconscionable" attacks on Senators Feingold and Boxer, both honorable and skilled patriots, who are trying to end this endless disastrous unsupportable war, I am far less willing to cut the warmongeror some slack.

Klein is stalking for Chairman Hillary, with limp Romney as the whipping horse?

What a shocker.

I wish someone would tell me what exactly Romney has ever done to deserve a moderate label? Empty cipher is more like it. Draft the Romney 5!

Hillary IS for responsible adult health care about as much as O.J. is for personal cutlery control.

eueui

"He might just be cynical, power hungry and two-faced."

He's serious, though. You've got to give him that. And a lot of YOUR criticisms of him strike me as deeply unserious.

Oh boo hoo to the man who types in caps. Rescind portions of the Bush tax cuts to extend tax credits to families who can't afford to pay for medical insurance-- what a tragedy.

IMPEACH ROMNEY AND HIS DOGGIE TOO!
YES TO HILLARY!
I AM WILLING TO PAY MORE TAXES TO MAKE SURE ALL AMERICANS HAVE FREE HEALTHCARE AND IF YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THIS THEN YOU ARE A GREEDY NEOCON.

In ten years Romney will become a word.Just as Gerry became gerrymandering.Being Romneyed will come to mean I have been lied to with a straight face.Example Clinton really romneyed me when he said" I never had sex with that woman."I am share other commenters can find more creative uses for being romneyed.

"how sad to see a smart, pragmatic and essentially moderate politician continue to embarrass himself in this way."

Do you feel the same way about smart, pragmatic and essentially moderate journalists who like to be taken seriously by the establishment?

But Joe, Mitt wants to be President SO BAD !!!

Patroclus,

Are you sure because, wars end this is another social security program. There is not end to this and 110 billion I bet is not even close, they are not being honest. California pays 2 billion a year in Illegal Alien medical care, and that is just what they disclosed. It will cost much more than that.

We see how well Social Security is doing right? You still counting on your check? If you are then your a freakin moron. If there are so many people worried about healthcare then create a non profit org and get millions of people to join and work it out with the insurance companies.

Since you and Kos Kidz are so worried about paying for it...you do it. Maybe you guys have musical talent and can put out a song "We are the uninsured".

"smart, pragmatic and essentially moderate politician"

Joe, as a Massachusetts resident and fellow writer, I believe you misspelled "craven greedy classical Eighties opportunist" in an unfortunate way.

Please hurry with registration ... we're begging you.

95% of these comments are ridiculous and embarrassing. Whenever people start posting over-the-top character-targeted critiques instead of substantive, thoughtful comments, I find myself inevitable on the other side of the fence from them. If these are the type of people opposed to Romney, then I am certainly more interested in learning more about his views.

Not to mention, Romney's plan in Massachussets differs substantially from Hillary, and Romney has never professed to apply his STATE plan on a national level. Instead, he has consistently fought against big government take-over of the healthcare system.

ONLY UNINSURED PEOPLE HATERS OPPOSE HILLARY AND HER PLAN TO BRING HEALTHCARE THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE TO THTE PEOPLE!

Wow, what a nest of venomous snakes we are!

The foul social darwinists peeking out from the fetid garbage pile to cast their feces at fellow Americans. I'm betting that FREE BEER, FREE CIGS, FREE MEDICRAP, is not near the age where he/she/it has to worry about health - and neither is the newly reminted QA.

I don't really care whether it's government or some other entity that fixes healthcare. If it is fixed, I'm fine with it - "big government" or not.

Regardless of the sediments (and I DO mean 'sediments'!) of these less-than-top quality "me firsters" who claim the mantle of patriotism but are more than happy to run over the sick and infirm with their callous ignorance of life or death issues buried within, healthcare is an issue for MORE than just the 47,000,000 Americans without it.

Their arguments are hollow and lack any reason whatsoever. The sentiments of FREE BEER, FREE CIGS, FREE MEDICRAP is not that of an American. These sentiments belong to the lone wolf, the antisocial, the failures in conscience and the lack of understanding of what made our country great.

We are NOT talking welfare state cradle to grave freebies here you lowlife scum, we are, in many cases, discussing livlihoods and paupery, life and death, punery and riches, and yes, the "haves" and "have nots".

What a foul load of crap you are. Go to India. Now THERE is a country you can be proud of.

Judgement?: (not):
I second the idea of getting the money from the Iraq war. Let's send you and the rest of the social darwinists to fight the war. They love it so much anyway, they'd fight for free, we'd be rid of those aberrant little Hitlers, and no more troops would have to die.

Really, though. Let's take part of that boatload of money and fix New Orleans, too.

Actually, like I said in the post above, these looneys belong in India, where the caste system is enshrined in stone...

YES
NO TO ILLEGAL WAR

YES TO CUTTING TAX CUTS
YES TO RAISING TAXES

YES TO STOPPING IRAQ
YES TO FIXING NEW ORLEANS
YES TO FREE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL

THOSE WHO OPPOSE THIS ARE NOT AMERICANS BUT ARE SELFISH PIG TROLLS

MR Klein - Although I seriously disagree with your headline, as in what politician in this race isn't a little shameless, I seriously wonder about the intellectual capacity of your readership. The vapid, venom spewing, "I have all truth" tone of the large majority of commenters leaves me wondering just what universe these people are from.

JIM - WE ARE THE LIBERALS WHO ARE AT THE VANGUARD OF THE END OF THE NEOCON ERA. WE SUCKED IT UP WHILE OUR ELECTIONS WERE STOLEN IN 2000 AND 2004 THEN HAD TO WATCH ILLEGAL WAR. NOW IT IS OUR TIME AND NO ONE CAN STOP US!!!! GET WITH THE PROGRAM.

We're on Earth, Jim. In the United States, specifically. What planet are you on?

JIM IS ON THE PLANET NEOCON WHERE EVERYONE IS A FAT CAT AND IS RICH AND THERE ARE "TERRORISTS" WHO ARE AGAINST US SO THEY CAN STEAL OUR CIVIL RIGHTS. IT'S TIME WE FOLLOW MARKOS AND BRING JIM BACK TO LIFE AND BACK TO REALITY.

Keven Bennett wrote: "What a foul load of crap you are. Go to India. Now THERE is a country you can be proud of."

Wonder where that came from. You were doing so well till the last couple of sentences.

Time, like much of the rest of the US media, is unfortunately overjewed, overneoconned, and overzioned. That is part of the reason for the disasterous Iraq catastrophe. The neocons and their zionist sponsors should pay for the Iraq war and pay compensation to the Iraqi people, just as the Germans have been forced to pay for the Hollowcast.

Romney has never supported a federal healthcare plan -- he has consistently stated that the various states should come up with solutions that work for each state. This is just Joe Klein at his usual worst -- using broad brush strokes to paint anyone he doesn't like as being dishonest, when it is really he who is being dishonest (by leaving out details he knows undermine his statements). Shame on you, Mr. Klein, for pretending to be a journalist.

"The intellectual dishonesty is just staggering"

I'm shocked, SHOCKED, to find dishonesty in so-called moderates!