Mitt Romney embraces his Massachusetts health care law

By Ginger Gibson and Darren Samuelsohn, POLITICO Ginger GibsonDarren SamuelsohnTampa Bay Times In Print: Monday, August 27, 2012

On the eve of the Republican convention in Tampa, Mitt Romney abruptly embraced his Massachusetts health care law Sunday in response to President Barack Obama's attacks that Republicans have declared a 'war on women.' "

"I'm the guy who was able to get all the health care for all the women and men for my state," Romney said in an interview aired on Fox News Sunday. "They were talking about it at the federal level. We actually did something and we did it without cutting Medicare and without raising taxes."

Romney added that he was "very proud" of his signature on the 2006 law when he was governor of Massachusetts while charging that Obama would cut more than $700 million from Medicare to pay for his health care overhaul. During the Republican primary and for much of the general election, Romney has all but ignored his health care bill and has instead emphasized that he would repeal the Affordable Care Act if he were elected.

But as the November election approaches, Romney and senior campaign aides have begun mentioning his Massachusetts reforms with more frequency and enthusiasm.

"Romney has a Hobson's choice: Obama will hit him if he distances himself on the Massachusetts plan, or, Obama will play up the plan as the basis for Obamacare if Romney owns it," GOP strategist Keith Appell said.

"What's important for Romney to do is maintain what he has promised conservatives: that he will repeal Obamacare on Day One of his presidency. And all conservatives in Congress and at the grass roots level need to hold his feet to the fire on that. If he wins and the Republicans control Congress, he has to repeal Obamacare immediately if he wants things to go smoothly from that point forward."

On Thursday, Romney also mentioned the health care law in an interview with a Denver television station. He pointed out that his plan didn't raise taxes.

On Aug. 8, spokeswoman Andrea Saul evoked the law in a Fox News appearance, saying "if people had been in Massachusetts, under Gov. Romney's health care plan, they would have had health care." There was a backlash from conservative pundits who saw their fears that he was moving to center realized.

Saul used the law as a defense to a blistering ad aired by an Obama-allied super PAC accusing Romney for being responsible for the death of a man's wife who died after he lost his job at a Bain-controlled company. Saul said if the couple had lived in Massachusetts, they would have had health care coverage.