Mitt Romney: Then And Now

Five years ago, in Boston, Romney signed into law Massachusetts' landmark health reform legislation requiring every citizen in the state buy health insurance. And that, as we've heard, is both his signature achievement and, potentially, his most devastating political baggage.

In its inimitable way, The New Yorker lays out Romney's conundrum better than anyone else. In the current issue, Ryan Lizza opens his story with a familiar scene: Romney at an elaborate bill-signing ceremony at Faneuil Hall. But he embellishes the portrait of the Governor with perfect detail. (The full story is behind a pay wall now, but here's a taste):