Politics/elections

Senior Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod defended the healthcare law's mandate on contraception Monday shortly after a lawsuit was filed against it by Catholic institutions.

Conservatives are lobbying colleagues to avoid leaving popular elements in place, if the high court doesn’t repeal the entire law.

The Obama campaign released a new Web video Tuesday highlighting President Obama's record on women's health issues. Read more...

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, campaigning for Rep. Robert Dold’s Democratic challenger, said the GOP freshman wanted "to parade as a moderate."

Healthcare is back in the political spotlight, a full six months before the November elections. In a sign of just how dangerous the issue can be, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is pushing back aggressively against ads that attack his support for healthcare reform. Nelson is in a tight race this fall, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is spending millions of dollars on ads criticizing his vote for the Affordable Care Act.

Nelson’s lawyers asked Florida TV stations on Monday to pull the Chamber’s ads, saying they’re misleading. The lawyers specifically cited the ad’s claim that “seniors will see $500 billion in Medicare cuts to fund Obamacare.” The website PolitiFact.org has said that claim is false.

Healthwatch has more on Nelson’s request.

That other healthcare program: Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) and his Democratic challenger, Tammy Duckworth, traded barbs over Medicare in a debate Friday night. The competitive race represents one of Democrats’ best chances to knock off a Tea Party freshman who voted for Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) plans to privatize Medicare.

The senator’s camps says the Chamber of Commerce ad attacking his vote for healthcare reform is misleading.

Democrats say New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was simply angling for the GOP’s vice presidential nomination when he vetoed a bill to implement part of President Obama’s healthcare law.

Christie vetoed legislation Thursday to create an insurance exchange — a new marketplace for consumers to compare and buy healthcare coverage. The Affordable Care Act directs each state to establish an exchange by 2014.

“This was very clearly a message to Mitt Romney saying, ‘Pick me, pick me,’ ” Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) said Friday.

Republicans might not offer a comprehensive plan to replace Obama's healthcare law if it is struck down.

President Obama launched his reelection bid over the weekend with attacks on Mitt Romney over women's health, ABC News reports.

The administration released a report touting its work for nurses and commemorating the start of National Nurses Week. We have the story here on Healthwatch.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) asked for the CDC's help with a whooping-cough outbreak that has killed an infant in Idaho, The Associated Press reports.

Planned Parenthood can no longer receive state funds in Arizona, Reuters reports.

Connecticut will soon become the 17th state allowing medical marijuana, Reuters reports. Read more...

A news report suggests Romney's federal healthcare plan would undermine the policies he enacted as Massachusetts governor.