At one-year mark, political players draw lines in the sand

Politico reports on how Democrats, who find themselves under siege, are not getting as much help as they expected from big name health overhaul supporters. Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers and presidential hopefuls are using this landmark day to make clear their opposition.

Politico: Where Are The Health Care All Stars?
Democrats are under siege as they mark the first anniversary of health care reform Wednesday — and they won't get much help from the star-studded, $125 million support group they were once promised. Wal-Mart Watch founder Andrew Grossman unveiled the Health Information Campaign with great fanfare last June. Tom Daschle and Ted Kennedy's widow, Vicki, were expected to lead the effort. They'd have help from former White House Communications Director Anita Dunn. They'd have an office in Washington with 10 or 15 operatives backing the Affordable Care Act and those who supported it (Haberkorn, 3/23).

The Washington Post: The Fact Checker: Are Unions Getting A 'Disproportionate' Break From The Health Care Law?
The first anniversary of passage of the health-care law has led to a flurry of bogus claims both for and against what detractors called "Obamacare." We have looked at a number of these claims in our last two articles. But when we heard Sen. John Barrasso on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show Monday, we had to do just one more, since his comments echoed a recurrent GOP theme (Kessler, 3/22).

The Boston Globe: Romney, 'If president, I Would Waive 'Obamacare''
Former Governor Mitt Romney is marking the first anniversary of President Obama's universal health care law by vowing to dismantle it state-by-state. "If I were president, on Day One I would issue an executive order paving the way for Obamacare waivers to all 50 states," the would-be Republican presidential candidate said Tuesday night in a blog post for the "National Review." Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who announced Monday he was forming a presidential exploratory committee, released his own statement this morning saying he would support the law's repeal (Johnson, 3/23).

Minnesota Public Radio: Health Care Reform — What A Difference An Election Makes
Recent polls show Americans are deeply divided on the federal health care law. ... When it comes to carrying out the law's policies in Minnesota, that party divide has also had an obvious impact. Consider Republican Tim Pawlenty, an opponent [who] ... barred executive branch departments and state agencies from applying for millions of dollars in discretionary grants under the federal health care law. That included a $1 million grant to plan for a key part of the law, a health insurance exchange. ... Contrast that with Democrat Mark Dayton, whose first official act after he became governor in January was to expand the Medicaid program with the help of those federal dollars (Stawicki, 3/23).