ObamaCare allows parents to keep their young-adult children on their insurance, requires insurers to offer guaranteed issue and community rates, and imposes an individual mandate to purchase insurance on individuals.

Now comes Mitt Romney:

Romney says he won’t repeal all of Obamacare: Mitt Romney says his pledge to repeal President Barack Obama’s health law doesn’t mean that young adults and those with medical conditions would no longer be guaranteed health care.

So there we have it: Romney will keep the parts of ObamaCare that are young-adult coverage, and guaranteed issue and community rates.

It continues:

The Republican presidential nominee says he’ll replace the law with his own plan. He tells NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the plan he worked to pass while governor of Massachusetts…

So there we have it: Romney will keep the parts of ObamaCare thatimposes on individual mandate to purchase insurance.

So what’s left?

Romney says he doesn’t plan to repeal of all of Obama’s signature health care plan. He says there are a number of initiatives he likes in the Affordable Care Act that he would keep in place if elected president…

Like: the whole thing. Duh.

There is something very wrong with anybody working for, contributing to, or arguing for Ryan-Romney right now.

So, isn’t the repeal of Obamacare the holy grail of republicans and teabaggers right now?  They’ve voted to repeal it over 30 times.

Since the start of this Congress, Republicans have taken 30 votes to repeal, defund or dismantle the Affordable Care Act. When they vote to repeal the health law later this week that will make 31. House Republicans will then have had as many health-repeal votes as Baskin Robbins has ice cream flavors.

As we’ve seen 30 times before, the health-care-repeal votes aren’t going anywhere. Repeal bills passed in the House are dead-on-arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate. So why do they keep going?

To start, there’s a lot of support in the Republican base for a repeal. Kaiser Family Foundation asked voters, shortly after the Supreme Court decision, whether they wanted legislators to continue blocking the health law — or move on and implement it.

Overall, 65 percent sided with the latter option. But dig deeper into the numbers, and you’ll find widespread support among Republicans to continue blocking the law. There’s significant support among Independents to keep fighting, too

Mark Thoma really has some good points on this.

I won’t complain about “a major fold” on healthcare, but it does bring up a question. Does Romney stand for anything? He seems to know how to set his principles aside and submit to the highest bidder — something his touted business experience taught him I suppose. But with all of the flip-flops, Etch-a-Sketch moments, his refusal to take a stand on budget cuts, his dishonest campaigning, etc., etc., is there any principle that Romney won’t conveniently overlook if it looks like there’s a few votes to be gained?

I’ve said this over and over, but I honestly can’t figure out why this guy keeps running for president.  What on earth is his reason? To do something Daddy couldn’t do?  I’m open for suggestions.

You can call this an open thread!!!