Mitt Romney is preparing for what's been deemed the first big moment of his low-key 2012 campaign. On Thursday, he'll deliver a speech outlining an "updated" version of his health care plan in his home state of Michigan (the first state he won in the 2008 primaries). Time's Mark Halperin, who first reported the move, figured that it will be his "best chance to move the conversation from the past to the future." No pressure there.

Although Romney is perpetually dogged by his evolving positions, his history of having tried to help uninsured sick people has been a particular sticking point for the GOP, and one that the President is all too willing to exploit. In February, Romney devised an ingenious solution to the problem by refusing to apologize for his plan and boiling the the difference between what he did in Massachusetts and what Obama did on the national level to this: "States have rights that the federal government doesn't have." We'll see if he continues on that tack tomorrow.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at ehayden at nationaljournal dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Erik Hayden