Exchange guru for Romney chief of staff?

[Greenbeard]

The word today is that Romney has tapped former Utah governor and HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt to lead his hypothetical transition and, perhaps, ultimately become his hypothetical chief of staff.

"Mike Leavitt, the man planning the Mitt Romney presidency":

Leavitt, the former Utah governor and Health and Human Services Secretary under President George W. Bush, has been tapped to head Romney’s transition process and has quietly taken the first steps toward drawing up the blueprint for a new administration, according to multiple GOP sources.

As the point man for what is internally called “Project Ready,” Leavitt is stepping into a post that historically gets little attention during the campaign but becomes the focal point of a government-in-waiting beginning the day after the election. And already, plugged-in Republicans from Washington to Salt Lake City are buzzing that Leavitt could make his own transition next January into the job of White House chief of staff or as a Valerie Jarrett-like personal counselor to a President Romney.

This is the first encouraging news out of the Romney camp in a while, as Leavitt is one of the most prominent Republican proponents of health insurance exchanges in the country (aside from Romney, I suppose). Leavitt has been notable for often being one of the few Republican voices standing up to certain extreme elements on the far right who have been urging state governments to avoid implementing the ACA's exchanges-indeed, he's been a leading player in implementation in some places. The pick is leading to some dissent on the right: "Conservatives slam Romney transition pick over health law support"

Leavitt, who led the Health and Human Services Department under former President George W. Bush, has spent the past few years running a consulting business that helps states implement parts of the Affordable Care Act.

“The fact that Romney picked Leavitt suggests he really doesn’t mind ObamaCare that much, and that he is just saying whatever he needs to say to get what he wants. I know. Mitt Romney. Go figure,” wrote Michael Cannon, a health policy analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute.

Leavitt is on record supporting insurance exchanges — new marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can compare and buy insurance. The Affordable Care Act directs each state to establish an exchange by 2014, and the planning for that effort has proved lucrative for Leavitt.

Conservatives leapt on the issue after news broke that Romney had tapped Leavitt to lead the presidential transition effort.

“What's most concerning about all of this is not that Romney selected one of the few Republicans in the country who backs implementation of Obamacare's exchanges. It's what the selection of Leavitt means as an indication of how Romney would potentially ‘fix’ Obamacare if repeal proves impossible,” conservative blogger Ben Domenech wrote Sunday.

An interesting choice.

 

[EriktheRed]

bump

 

[Mad Scientist]

I've been telling everyone who'll listen that once Mittens get's in office he'll look for ANY excuse to go back on his campaign promises just like Bubba did with the middle class tax cuts.

Republitards suckered again!