TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is pointing to his Massachusetts health care law as evidence that he has empathy for ordinary Americans.

Romney usually avoids talking about the health care law he championed as Massachusetts governor because President Barack Obama cites it as the basis of his own federal health care law. Republicans reject what they call "Obamacare" as a costly government takeover.

Campaigning in Ohio on Wednesday, Romney told NBC News that he understands Americans' lives and the challenges they face. In citing the Massachusetts health care law, he said, "Don't forget, I got everybody in my state insured."

Liberals tend to favor universal health care while conservatives tend to oppose it.

While Romney has vowed to repeal and replace Obamacare, he has not offered specifics for replacement legislation.