Free Republic

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Mitt Romney offered a tepid defense of the Massachusetts health care law, suggesting to an audience last night at the Granite State’s first forum of the 2012 presidential campaign that he would sign it again if given the chance. “I went to work to try and solve a problem,’’ Romney said. “It may not be perfect — by the way, it is not perfect.’’ The statement was in response to a question asked of the former Massachusetts governor after he delivered a short address that was equal parts patriotic fervor and attacks on President Obama’s economic policies....

Mitt Romney’s supporters on Capitol Hill are giving him political cover for the healthcare plan he signed into law as governor, even as his competitors for the GOP presidential nomination ramp up their attacks on “RomneyCare.” Romney’s healthcare reform initiative in Massachusetts is viewed as one of his biggest political liabilities going into the Republican primary, due to its similarities to President Obama’s healthcare overhaul. But leading conservatives, including supporters of Romney during his 2008 presidential run, argue that the Massachusetts plan isn’t a deal-breaker. “One of the reasons I endorsed Romney [in 2008] is his attempts to make private...