As many of you know, the Obama health care reform law, far from being some radical piece of legislation, was actually something of a historic compromise: the decades-long progressive goal of universal health care coverage but achieved by what was essentially a Republican or at least a centrist policy approach.

So it’s little surprise that a number of key Republicans had endorsed the basic approach in the past. And a few were candid and courageous enough to endorse it in the heat of the health care debate in 2009 — though most ones who probably didn’t plan on running for office again. One of those was former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) who is reportedly about to announce he’s running for senate.

After the jump, I’ve included the joint statement Thompson released with Dick Gephardt in November 2009 — one of several. This was before the law took its absolute final form. But the gist was already clear. And Thompson’s endorsement doesn’t provide any wiggle room for him now to oppose it, without completing recanting his earlier stance.

I’ll be very curious to see how Thompson’s support plays out in the context of the highly polarized environment in Wisconsin today.

Statement after the jump … Read More