Romney to offer health proposal

Mitt Romney, whose emerging candidacy for president has been clouded by GOP doubts over his healthcare plan in Massachusetts, is planning a bit of political jujitsu tomorrow: taking the biggest perceived negative of his campaign and attempting to turn it into a positive. The former Massachusetts governor will seek to redefine his candidacy by delivering a major speech outlining his vision for dismantling President Obama's overhaul and creating a new national model. Romney is expected to propose tax breaks for consumers buying coverage on the open market; a requirement that insurers cover patients with preexisting conditions; and provisions giving states more power in the health coverage arena. His advisers say they wanted Romney to deliver this, his first major policy speech, before he announces his formal campaign and begins participating in debates, as a way to blunt the attacks that are sure to come.