Romney criticises Clinton health plan that is very similiar to the law he signed, isn't that strange?

Question

Here is the plan Romney signed: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2005-07-04-health-insurance-usat_x.htm
and some more details:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/08/romney-vision-f.html

and here is the Clinton plan: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/17/health.care/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091700118.html

The same? No, but some substantial similarities. Isn't it politically risky for Romney to in effect attack his own plan?
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/09/18/post_78.html?hpid=topnews

http://mediamatters.org/items/200709180002

$110 billion in treasury funds hm Jimsock? That's pretty big. Let's see, federal income in 2007 was 2.4 trillion. 110 billion is less than 4.58% of income. And, Americans lose $130 billion in productivity each year to illness. So, seems like we are 20 billion ahead to me. I'm sure you may argue with these figures, but you've got your mind made up.

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=10719
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy07/pdf/budget/tables.pdf

Answer 1

No, it's not strange, it's consistent and typical for Republicans to criticize the other side for doing the same thing Republicans are doing. Yes, Romeny will get away with it because repetitious Republican spin trumps reality and logic.

Answer 2

Basic difference:

Romney pulled it off without raising taxes. He gets the insurance companies to pay for those who can't self insure, like the assigned risk pool for auto insurance.

Hillary is going to spend $110Bn of the treasury for you to pay for what you are already paying for.
She will use even more tax money ("We will take from you for the greater good") to subsidize the premiums for everyone.
WHY?
The bottom line is, you will pay more for what you already have and you will pay for what anyone chooses not to pay for.

It made no sense the first time she proposed it and it makes no sense now.
She failed with a Democratic majority the first time and she will fail with it again.
She will have to wait for Ted Kennedy to die.

Answer 3

It does not matter what Mr. Romney did in Mass. The state constitution governs.
What Mrs. Clinton proposes is totally against the US Constitution. That is the big difference.