Although he was careful to call the government shutdown “a disgrace,” Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota backed the GOP line that Obamacare should be delayed anyway. “I think there’s so much confusion about the individual mandate right now, both within the administration and outside of the administration,” he told “The Brian Lehrer Show” today. “You should not be implementing policy unless you know exactly how it is going to be implemented.” The remarks, balanced and careful as they were, gifted Bill de Blasio yet another opportunity to remind voters, “This is unbelievable to me that a guy who says he wants to represent New York City would be taking the Tea Party position on the question of the Affordable Care Act.” It’s not the kind of exchange that dents a 50-point lead, that’s for sure.
