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In their relentlessly negative pursuit to repeal health care reform, Republicans have now fallen back to their predictable anti-tax rhetoric to attack the Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. What the law does is prevent a handful of individuals from “free-riding” off the health care system and thus increasing the cost of uncompensated care for the rest of us. The free rider policy that Republicans are attacking has strong Republican roots and is a key feature of Governor Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts health care law. In fact, he touted its necessity and effectiveness in 2006 saying this policy, “is essential for bringing the health care costs down for everyone and getting everyone the health insurance they need."

The requirement protects taxpayers from being forced to cover the cost of a very small group of people who can afford health insurance, but choose to remain without coverage.

The only people who will have to pay a modest penalty are those who refuse to take responsibility for their own health care and instead force the rest of us to pick up the bill. By irresponsibly choosing to forgo insurance when they have the means to purchase it and market reforms that make it available, these free-riders force American families to pay a hidden health annual tax of at least $1,017. http://democrats.waysandmeans.house.gov/press/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=12
172 above was precisely the Republican stance when THEY were for the mandate:

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'The individual insurance mandate ... was the brainchild of conservative economists and embraced by some of the nation's most prominent Republicans for nearly two decades'

HEALTH EQUITY AND ACCESS REFORM TODAY ACT (1993)

In 1993, Senate Republicans offered the "Health Equity and Access Today Act" as an alternative to President Clinton's healthcare proposal. The centerpiece of this proposal was a provision mandating individuals to purchase private health insurance. It had 19 Republican cosponsors, including three Republican senators still in office today.

WYDEN-BENNETT BILL (2007-2009)

The bipartisan Wyden-Bennett bill-introduced in 2007 and then again in 2009-contained an individual mandate. At least 10 Republicans sponsored one of the two versions of the proposal, including four still serving today.

ROMNEYCARE IN MASSACHUSETTS (2006)

In 2006, then-Gov. Mitt Romney signed a universal health care in Massachusetts that included an individual mandate. Sen. Jim DeMint, who endorsed Gov. Romney for President in 2007, said of the Massachusetts law: "I think that's something we should do for the whole country." http://www.dpcc.senate.gov/?p=blog&id=141 shown saying he was "pleased" with the individual mandate in his state:

And his "penalties" were FAR stiffer than those in "Obamacare"! Check out what he planned to do to "free riders":

He actually explains it far better than the Dems have managed to do thus far. So why are Romney and the Republicans so fervently against what they were FOR until Obama got in office? We all know the answer, of course, but this is to show their incredible hypocrisy in using "repeal and replace" as a talking point.

By the way, does ANYONE have any idea what their "replace" policy IS?