Democratic strategy memo indicates Medicare fight will persist

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee believes Democrats are already winning the Medicare fight and Chairman Steve Israel (N.Y.) has instructed Democratic candidates to stay on the offensive, according to a strategy memo obtained by The Hill.

The two-page memo says that, in choosing Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as his running mate, Mitt Romney "gave us the national debate we've wanted." It cites prominent national Republicans, including former National Republican Congressional Committee Chairmen Tom Davis and Tom Reynolds, as well as Steve Schmidt, a former adviser to Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential run, all expressing concern about the damage the Ryan pick could have on the party's efforts to win this November.

Israel contacted Democratic candidates on Friday to tell them they were winning the debate and to "use Republicans' own words against their opponents." This has already been a favored strategy of Democrats up and down the ticket, with the DCCC leading the charge with its two ads of the general-election season that highlight Republicans' support for the budget.

And the memo points out that such an attack has worked before for Democrats, in New York's 26th district, in which Democrat Kathy Hochul overcame Republican Jane Corwin, and in Nevada's 7th district, in which Democrat Ron Barber defeated Republican Jesse Kelley — both races in which the memo says Medicare was "a decisive, losing issue for Republicans."

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