To comprehend why the political class reacted as if Romney had just praised Hitler, you must understand that his critics live in a world in which no one can ever be fired — a world known as "the government."
Romney's statement about being able to fire people was an arrow directed straight to the heart of Obamacare. Talking about insurance providers, he said:
It also means if you don't like what they do, you can fire them. I like being able to fire people who provide services to me. Oops, I take that back: Government employees who rob the elderly also can't be fired.
Riccitelli was fired and a burglary prosecution initiated. A few years later, the California Personnel Board rescinded her firing and awarded her three-years back pay. The board dismissed the videotape of Riccitelli stealing the money as "circumstantial." (The criminal prosecution was also dropped after Germain died.)
But surely we'll be able to fire a government employee who commits a physical assault on a mentally disturbed patient? Powell was fired, but, again, the California Personnel Board ordered him rehired.
Teachers accused of raping students sat in rooms doing no work all day, still collecting government paychecks because they couldn't be fired.
After an uproar over the rubber rooms a few years ago, Michael Bloomberg got rid of the rooms. But the teachers still can't be fired.
Wherever there is government, there is malfeasance and criminality — and government employees who can never be fired.
One, a senior lawyer at SEC headquarters in Washington, D.C., admitted to spending eight hours a day looking at Internet pornography, sometimes even "working" through his lunch hour. Not one of the porn-surfing employees of the SEC was fired.
A senior official who had spent 331 workdays talking to fully or partially nude women online was allowed to resign (but was not fired). The others kept their jobs — including an NSF employee who had downloaded hundreds of pornographic videos and pictures and even developed pornographic PowerPoint slide shows. The government refused to release any of their names.
These are the people who are going to be controlling your access to medical services if Obamacare isn't repealed. Obamacare employees will spend their days surfing pornography, instead of approving your heart operation. Now, wouldn't you like to be able to fire people who provide services to you?
