The Short Memory of the American People

As we have heard every single argument out there against the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the most prevalent complaint is always about the individual mandate. For all those people out there that think they are libertarian (but also want to tell people how to live life by their white Christian morals), penalizing someone for not buying something is a ridiculous overstepping of federal power and unprecedented.

Some examples from the talking heads and candidates about Obamacare being unprecedented:

Bachmann:

On Starting Point this morning, Rep. Bachmann argued that Obamacare was an “unprecedented” way to force Americans to buy a product or service “because that individual breathes.” http://www.mediaite.com/tv/rep-michele-bachmann-bashes-unprecedented-wildly-unpopular-obamacare-on-cnn/

Rush:

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/04/02/the_obamacare_mandate_is_unprecedented

The question I want answered is how the ‘Obamacare’ penalty is any different than the Medicare Part B and Part D penalties that have existed for years?

The Medicare Part B penalty was put in place in 1965 and the Part D penalty was put in place in 2003. In fact many of the current Republican Congressman and Senators voted in favor of the part D penalty that punishes you for not purchasing a part D prescription drug plan from a private insurance company.

Would one Republican please take the time to tell me how the Affordable Care Act penalty is different than the Part B and Part D penalties that exist for Medicare?