Romney Supports Health Insurance for Everyone

"I think my plan is a good plan that should be adopted by other states...... I would not mandate at the federal level that every state do what we do. But what I would say at the federal level is, "We'll keep giving you these special payments we make if you adopt plans that get everybody insured." I want to get everybody insured. " Mitt Romney 2008 TRANSCRIPT: ABC News

"The former Massachusetts governor said the mandate was necessary to achieve universal coverage in the state.

In order to qualify for the tax exemption, Romney added "...you gotta have health insurance because we want everybody in the system. No more free riders."

During the interview Romney held up his health care law as a model that "could inform Washington on ways to improve health care for all Americans." CNN Romney's health care mandate included tax penalty.