RealClearPolitics: Palin Slams RomneyCare In Massachusetts

There will "obviously" be more explanation from Romney for his support of government mandates.
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On the road with Sarah Palin's One Nation tour, Scott Conroy of RealClearPolitics reports that the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee criticized RomneyCare just minutes before the former Massachusetts governor who signed that bill into law formally announced his candidacy for president:

After noting that he would be a "great candidate," Palin quickly changed his tune when asked about Romney's record.

"I think that he'll have maybe a bit more challenges with independents who make up the tea party movement, wanting to make sure we are not going to--we won't have any excuses or perceived political reasons to grow government," Palin said. "In my opinion, any mandate coming from government is not a good thing, obviously, and I am not the only to say so. But obviously there will be more explanation coming from Gov. Romney for his support of government mandates."

Pressed on whether Romney would have a particularly difficult time attracting support from members of the tea party movement, Palin did not hold back.

"That perhaps will be a big challenge for him because tea party activists are pretty strident, in a good way, in making sure that the candidate that many of the tea party patriots will support--the candidate has a record of living out the principles that tea party patriots do embrace," she said.

Palin added that Romney may have a "good argument" that what he implemented in Massachusetts applied only on a statewide level and would not be appropriate nationally. But then she quickly went back on the attack.

"However, even on a state level and a local level, mandates coming from a governing body, it's tough for a lot of us to accept because we have great faith in the private sector and in our own families and in our businessmen and women in making decisions for ourselves," Palin said. "Not any level of government telling us what to do."

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Conroy says that both candidates could benefit from the local media's Palin vs. Romney narrative because it draws attention away from other players in the crowded presidential field.

- JP