Newt Gingrich supported Obamacare before he didn’t support Obamacare

Colloquially, of course, such behavior could be described as either ‘schizophrenic,’ ‘conflicted,’ ‘incompatible,’ or ‘contradictory’.

None of those terms are positive or encouraging. And certainly, none are like the sound of “Obamacare,” which is the derogatory castigating term foisted upon the Health Insurance reforms passed in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. I remind the readers that it was Republicans, Republican sympathizers, TEA Party, TEA Party activists, and other Right Wing radicals whom invented the disparaging moniker.

Regular readers of this blog may recall a previous entry posted 22 January 2012 about the PPACA entitled “Ending Obamacare” in which several rights, responsibilities and benefits were enumerated – all which applied to Health Insurance companies and the Insured.

Perhaps more than anything, the purpose of this entry is to illustrate what I believe could justifiably be termed “hypocrisy.” Allow me to illustrate.

Recently, a May 2009 recording has emerged, in which Newt Gingrich is heard discussing healthcare and insurance reform, and says in part that,

“We believe that there should be must carry – that is, everybody should either have health insurance or if you’re an absolute libertarian, we would allow you to post a bond, but we would not allow people to be free riders failing to insure themselves and then showing up at the emergency room with no means of payment.”

That also is very similar to the type of idea and plan which Mr. Gingrich’s Republican rival Mitt Romney implemented in Massachusetts when he was then governor. It is also very similar to the plan which is enumerated in the PPACA. It requires accountability and responsibility from the individual.

The several states require drivers to demonstrate proof of automobile insurance as part of their responsibility and accountability, why is it not a good idea to require accountability and responsibility when it comes to health? We pass laws that regulate tobacco advertising, sales, and tobacco consumption in public – most notably smoking, though smokeless tobacco also has regulations – and we do so in the name of public health – but we do not want to require personal accountability nor responsibility from ourselves? Is that not crazy, disjointed, disjunct – even inconsistent – at best?

We gripe and complain that insurance companies kick us off their rolls when we get sick, but we gripe about the law that forbids them from doing that.

We gripe and complain about health insurance companies denying health insurance coverage for treatments to children born with certain conditions – yet we gripe and complain about the law that forbids that practice.

We bitch, moan, groan and complain about health insurance companies which raise their health insurance policy rates – even quadrupling them in some cases, and do so unannounced – yet we cry and whine about the law that requires them to justify any increases in their rates.

We castigate insurance companies for all those things, and for their outrageously outlandish – even obscene – profits, and for their executives’ compensation packages and stockholder payouts – yet we are mealy-mouthed when it comes to requiring them to use at least 80% of our health insurance premiums for our own healthcare rather than for advertising, costs of business operations, CEO compensation and overhead expenses – none of which have any relation or bearing upon the delivery or provision of healthcare.

These all are inconsistencies in the public perception of “Obamacare,” which is the derogatory name given to the PPACA.

You, the readers, may be interested in reading – or should I write “hearing” – Mr. Gingrich speak about the issues of health insurance and health policies in the United States.

Here is a YouTube hosted recording of him discussing those issues.