Schwarzenegger Reverses Position (Again) Backs Federal Health Care

Schwarzenegger announces his support at the UC Davis Cancer Center in Sacramento on Thursday | Justin Short, Office of the Governor

Schwarzenegger announces his support at the UC Davis Cancer Center in Sacramento on Thursday | Justin Short, Office of the Governor
It was back in October when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was supporting President Barack Obama's healthcare push. "Our principal goals, slowing the growth in costs, enhancing the quality of care delivered, improving the lives of individuals, and helping to ensure a strong economic recovery, are the same goals that [President Obama] is trying to achieve," he said. "I appreciate his partnership with the states and encourage our colleagues on both sides of the political aisle at the national level to move forward and accomplish these vital goals for the American people."

But then in his State of the State in January, he took it back. "While I enthusiastically support health care reform, it is not reform to push more costs onto states that are already struggling while other states get sweetheart deals," he explained while revealing his budget proposal. "Health care reform, which started as noble and needed legislation, has become a trough of bribes, deals and loopholes."

And then yesterday, he was back with Obama, using the word "parnership"--and more than once. "The bottom line is this: If national health care reform is going to succeed, it has to be a partnership, like with everything, a partnership between the state and the federal government," he said yesterday at a UC Davis medical facility in Sacramento. "I am directing my administration to move forward very responsibly and as fast as possible. I have formed a Health Care Reform Taskforce from across my administration to focus on implementation of these programs and I will call a special session, if necessary, to ensure that we make the required statutory changes on time."