Romney assailed for Mass. effort to stop care for sick girl

The Miami Herald reports that a conservative website has raised questions about the former governor's role in a case in which a state agency sought to stop life support for a young girl who later came out of her coma.

McClatchy: Case Involving Brain-Damaged Girl Weighs On Romney Campaign
On the day Mitt Romney announced the support of social conservatives, the Republican blogosphere buzzed with reports about how a state agency under the former Massachusetts governor tried to pull the plug on a brain-damaged girl who ultimately came out of a coma. ... Romney's campaign said the governor improved the state of care in Massachusetts as a result of Haleigh's case. "Gov. Romney criticized the state's handling of the case, ordered an investigation and put in place safeguards to prevent it from happening again," campaign spokesman Ryan Williams said in a written statement. "His actions speak for themselves" (Caputo, 11/14).

Meanwhile, Rep. Michele Bachmann releases a new ad attacking her rivals for the GOP presidential nomination, and former Speaker Newt Gingrich offers more details on his plans.

Des Moines Register: Michele Bachmann Blasts Rivals In New Web Video, Including Perry's 'Oops'
In a new hard-hitting web video attack ad, Michele Bachmann conveys the message that Iowans can expect "no surprises" from her – unlike from her fellow GOP presidential candidates, her campaign said this morning. ... The ad seeks to contrast differences between Bachmann and her rivals on abortion, nuclear weapons, illegal immigration, global warming, health care mandates, and the 2nd Amendment, her campaign aides said (Jacobs, 11/15).

Des Moines Register: Gingrich Suggests Deficit Reduction Plan
Medicaid would be overseen by states instead of the federal government, massive oil exploration would be approved and federal drug approval would be expedited under deficit reduction proposals Newt Gingrich made in West Des Moines today (Clayworth, 11/14).