Leading conservatives and Mitt Romney supporters say the former Massachusetts Governor’s healthcare reform initiative will not act as a “deal-breaker” for a 2012 presidential run, offering him support in the face of growing attacks on “RomneyCare,” The Hill reported Thursday.
Many view “RomneyCare” as Romney’s only political hurdle heading into a Republican primary because of the similarities to President Obama’s healthcare overhaul.
Republican Sen. Jim DeMint recently defended Romney amid mounting criticism.
“One of the reasons I endorsed Romney [in 2008] is his attempts to make private health insurance available at affordable prices,” DeMint told The Hill.
DeMint blamed the most contested elements of Romney’s healthcare reform on the Massachusetts Democratic legislature.
“It just depends on how he plays it. For me, I think he started with some good ideas that were essentially hijacked by the Democrat Legislature,” DeMint told The Hill.
President Barack Obama seems amused by the ‘RomneyCare’ debate, however. He somewhat teased Romney last month by thanking him for inspiring the ideas behind his own health care reform, knowing how conservatives despise the legislation.
“[I] agree with Mitt Romney, who recently said he’s proud of what he accomplished on healthcare in Massachusetts and supports giving states the power to determine their own healthcare solutions,” the president said in a speech to the National Governors Association.