Republicans Were For The Health-Care Mandate Before They Were Against It

It was a good idea back in the day...an idea backed by some of the biggest names in the Republican Party.  Now of course, the whole shebang is "unconstitutional."

Some big names supporting mandate include, Senators Judd Gregg, Lamar Alexander, Charles Grassley, Orrin Hatch, John Chafee, Christopher Bond, John McCain, Mike Crapo, Lindsay Graham, and Bob Bennett.

And supported by the Repulican brain-trust and "idea-man" Newt Gingrich.

In 2006 Mick Romney wrote in the Wall Street Journal, "Some of my libertarian friends balk at what looks like an individual mandate. But remember, someone has to pay for the health care that must, by law, be provided: Either the individual pays or the taxpayers pay. A free ride on government is not libertarian." Mitt Romney, of course, created a health care law requiring almost all citizens to have coverage.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush, Tommy Thompson said, "Just like people are required to have car insurance, they could be required to have health insurance."

In an interview with Fox News, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) said the following "I believe that there is a bipartisan consensus to have individual mandates.... There isn't anything wrong with it." Grassley's currently says he opposes the Democratic proposal because individual mandates are "non-constitutional."

The following Senators all co-sponsored reform bill with an individual mandate: Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Bob Bennett (R-Utah), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Judd Gregg (R-N.H.)

It was invented by Mark Pauly to give to George Bush Sr. back in the day, as a competition to the employer mandate focus of the Democrats at the time.

I'm not saying the individual mandate is right or wrong, but why was the mandate constitutional when it was a Republican idea, but unconstitutional now that the Dems have implemented it?