By Glen Johnson, Globe Staff

Speaking to state and national audiences, Governor Deval Patrick today defended the idea of government ensuring near universal health care, even as he called on lawmakers, health care providers, and the business community to work jointly on controlling its cost. The twin targets reflected his role both as leader of the state and a top surrogate speaker for President Obama. The Democratic incumbent is defending his federal health care overhaul from criticism by Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

By Glen Johnson, Globe Staff

His friendship with President Obama has sparked talk of a Cabinet appointment should the Democrats retain the White House this fall. His travel to presidential primary states and book-writing have prompted speculation about his own presidential candidacy in 2016 should Obama lose. And some time away from the office has fueled the opinion he’s lost interest in his current job. An amused-but-exasperated Governor Deval Patrick today has an answer for all the chatter: “I’m not going anywhere.”

By Glen Johnson, Globe Staff

Senator Scott Brown said today that “it’s sad” for rival Elizabeth Warren to criticize his decision to continue insuring one of his daughters through the Obama administration health care law that he has opposed and tried to repeal. “For her to call me a hypocrite as to how Gail and I provide for our family, it’s sad,” Brown said. Warren, Brown’s likely Democratic challenger this fall, never personally applied that label to the senator. But her campaign spokeswoman did Monday.

By Glen Johnson, Globe Staff

Democrat Elizabeth Warren said today “it is wrong” that Senator Scott Brown has voted to block and repeal President Obama’s health care overhaul when he continues to insure his nearly 24-year-old daughter through an extended-coverage provision in the law. “He is using that same health care reform act to make sure that his adult daughter gets covered on his health insurance policy – at the same moment that he wants to repeal it for everyone else,” Warren said.