President Obama compares his health care plan to Romney’s

By Stephanie Vallejo, Globe Correspondent

Former Governor Mitt Romney has kept a high profile throughout the midterm election season endorsing and fundraising for GOP candidates, an effort that some analysts say has established his position as frontrunner for Republican nomination in 2012. Romney hasn’t escaped President Obama’s attention – and in a CBS “60 Minutes” interview last night, Obama compared his health care plan to Romney’s and practically announced Romney’s candidacy.

Obama weighed the political costs of health care reform and said Republicans didn’t cooperate as much as he had hoped they would.

“We thought that if we shaped a bill that wasn’t that different from bills that had previously been introduced by Republicans, including a Republican Governor in Massachusetts who’s now running for President, that we would be able to find some common ground there,” said Obama. “And we just couldn’t.”

Romney’s status as the establishment candidate and his executive role implementing universal health care in Massachusetts may hurt him in Tea Party circles, the Globe reported last week. Romney, who hasn't said yet whether he will seek the presidency, has said his state plan differed from the president’s federal program.

Catch the full CBS interview, and watch for Obama’s remarks on Romney around 20:41.