Politics | Mitt Romney 2012 Romney May Have Made Things Worse Conservatives aren't happy with his health care speech By John Johnson Posted May 12, 2011 4:58 PM CDT Copied Mitt Romney lays out his plan for health care reform during an address at the University of Michigan Thursday. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) So did Mitt Romney help his cause with the right with his health care speech today? The early reaction isn't pretty for him on that front: Avik Roy, National Review: "His effort to make a distinction between Romneycare and Obamacare was not persuasive: If anything, he convincingly made the opposite case, that Romneycare and Obamacare are based on the same fundamental concept." Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post: "The consensus: If possible, Romney made things worse. If anything, Romney proved to be a far more articulate spokesman for the individual mandate than Obama. And if conservative pundits hated it this much, can you imagine what Tea Partyers will think?" Ezra Klein, Washington Post: The speech was "as thoroughgoing a defense of the individual mandate as I’ve heard in months. The White House would’ve been wise to take notes." Potential rival Rick Santorum, at Time: "Both Romneycare and Obamacare infringe upon individual freedom and exponentially increase the government's healthcare cost burden. Romneycare has, in fact, not made healthcare better or saved costs in Massachusetts. It's done just the opposite." Read These Next White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Supreme Court ruling is a big blow to Planned Parenthood. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. Report an error