CBS News has portions of the first interview since the Supreme Court ruled that Obamacare's individual mandate is, indeed, a tax.
Mitt Romney tried to clear up the confusion about where he stands on President Obama's health care reform. Two days ago, his campaign spokesman said the requirement that every American buy health insurance is a penalty, not a tax. But on Wednesday, the candidate shifted his position.
Romney has come under fire since the Supreme Court's decision because his position on this tax issue has been at odds with every Republican, that of course they're saying that the health care law is a massive tax hike. But Wednesday, in his first interview since the Supreme Court decision, Romney tried to clear things up. CBS News correspondent Jan Crawford interviewed the GOP presidential hopeful at his vacation home. A transcript follows:
Romney: Well, the Supreme Court has the final word. And their final word is that Obamacare is a tax. So it's a tax. They decided it was constitutional. So it is a tax and it's constitutional. That's the final word. That's what it is.
Crawford: Have you changed your views on this? Do you now believe that it is a tax at the federal level, that the Supreme Court has said it's a tax? So it is a tax?
Romney: Well, I said that I agreed with the dissent, and the dissent made it very clear that they felt it was unconstitutional. But the dissent lost. It's in the minority. And so now the Supreme Court has spoken.
Emphasis mine
Look at the two portions emphasized in the above quote, "shifted position" but this was his "first interview."
Romney didn't "shift" nor "flip" on anything, he clarified a mistaken comment made by someone else.
A campaign adviser, Eric Fehrnstrom, was previously asked if Mr. Romney "agrees with the president" and "believes that you shouldn't call the tax penalty a tax, you should call it a penalty or a fee or a fine?" "That's correct," Mr. Fehrnstrom replied.
Romney clarified instead of letting Fehrnstrom be the final say on what Romney thinks. All candidates should but they should held to that standard consistently.
In the meantime, calling Romney a flip flopper because an adviser said something to which Romney himself did not and did clarify his position on, is nothing compared to the ultimate flip flop.
[WATCH BELOW]
Comprehensive List of Obamacare Tax Hikes Effective Date
75 percent of Obamacare costs hit families making less that $120,000 a year.
Now that is a flip, a flop, a lie, of major proportion.