Romney faces Tea Party critics, especially on health care

The New York Times: Romney Plays Down G.O.P.-Tea Party Strife 
Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, tried to bridge the gap between himself and the Tea Party on Monday morning, telling a gathering of supporters that the differences between the Tea Party and traditional Republicans were not as wide as many people seem to believe. ...  Mr. Romney's critics in the Tea Party say that his record as governor of Massachusetts – notably his passage of a universal health care law that has been likened to the federal legislation passed by President Obama – does not jibe with Tea Party principles. Mr. Romney did not address that criticism directly on Sunday (Eligon, 9/5).

The Associated Press: Tea Party Forcefully Shaping 2012 GOP Race
The former Massachusetts governor is starting to court them more aggressively as polls suggest he's being hurt by weak support within the movement ... Some tea party groups plan to protest Romney's appearances. They are irked that as governor, he signed a bill that enacted a health program mandating insurance coverage. It served as a precursor to Obama's federal measure that the tea party despises (Blood and Peoples, 9/4).

CBS News: Mitt Romney Welcomed By The Tea Party Express 
In the capital of the state that will hold the nation's first presidential primary next year, about 250 people gathered at Rollins Park to see Romney make his first appearance at a tea party event since announcing his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. ... One young man took the microphone and denounced the health care plan that Romney signed when he was governor of Massachusetts. ... "Does Romneycare violate individual responsibility?" the speaker said. ... "Does Romneycare expand government, yes it does. So the Tea Party stands in direct opposition to Mitt Romney's record" (Boxer, 9/5).