Romney Aide Embraces Massachusetts Health Law

Pundits aren't sure whether it's a gaffe or calculated strategy
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 8, 2012 2:53 PM CDT

A Romney spokeswoman went on Fox today to criticize a brutal new anti-Romney ad, but now her comments are coming under fire from some conservatives. It's all about health care, as Politico explains. Spokeswoman Andrea Saul denounced a new Super PAC ad in which a steelworker laid off by Bain links his wife's death to his loss of health insurance. In doing so, Saul brought up a subject generally considered taboo in Romney's camp: His health care law in Massachusetts.

"If people had been in Massachusetts, under Governor Romney’s health care plan, they would have had health care,” said Saul. “There are a lot of people losing their jobs and losing their health care in President [Barack] Obama’s economy.” One reaction to that statement getting cited frequently:

  • “OMG. This might just be the moment Mitt Romney lost the election," tweeted RedState.com editor Erick Erickson. "Wow."
Similar sentiments are out there, though Jonathan Chait at Daily Intel thinks Saul's critics are overreacting. "I don’t quite understand why this is so politically damaging for Romney, or even damaging at all. The existence of Romneycare is not a secret." And the Washington Post suggests that it may be part of a "novel" but risky campaign strategy to embrace the Massachusetts law. (More political advertising stories.)

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