Politics/elections

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said Mitt Romney is "pro-life and deeply committed to the issue," defending the GOP nominee from accusations that he misrepresented his abortion views this week. 

Romney received criticism Tuesday after saying abortion legislation was "not part of my agenda." The former governor has promised to back a variety of anti-abortion measures, and his campaign later clarified that he is "proudly pro-life and will be a pro-life president."

For some conservatives, the flap could recall Romney's past as a supporter of abortion rights. But Christie said Wednesday that "there is no change in position for Gov. Romney." 

In the ads, victims of sexual assault criticize Rep. Todd Akin's position on emergency contraception.

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) is attacking his Democratic opponent for supporting $716 billion in Medicare cuts — the same cuts West backed when he voted for Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) budget plans.

In a new ad, West blasts Patrick Murphy for supporting President Obama's healthcare law, which cut Medicare spending by $716 billion. The 30-second spot features seniors calling Murphy "dangerous" to Medicare.

But West voted for the same reductions when he supported Ryan's last two budget plans. Both sets of cuts are aimed at extending Medicare's lifetime.

Poll: Obama's lead on healthcare issues narrows post-debate.

Swing-state married moms trust Romney on economy, Obama on women's healthcare.

Meningitis outbreak toll rises to 119 cases, 11 deaths.

FDA seeks reconsideration of U.S. cigarette label ruling.

GAO outlines target, costs of anti-fraud efforts [reg. req'd].

Abortion-rights advocates said Romney was misrepresenting his position, while the campaign said he was "proudly pro-life."

The Obama campaign tied Mitt Romney's Medicare plan to his controversial "47 percent" comments in a new ad Tuesday.

The television spot quotes comments in which the GOP presidential nominee said 47 percent of the country pays no income tax and is dependent on government programs. That statistic includes seniors who receive Medicare and Social Security benefits.

" 'Victims,' 'dependent,' that's what Mitt Romney called 47 percent of Americans, including people on Medicare," the ad says.

Ann Romney, who survived breast cancer, will visit Moffitt Cancer Center outside Tampa on Wednesday, the campaign announced.

Romney will tour Moffitt's Women's Oncology Center and visit with patients and their families, according to Tampa Bay Online.

The event comes as Mitt Romney, the GOP presidential nominee, works to soften his image on healthcare in the closing weeks of the campaign. October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

President Obama's reelection campaign hit Mitt Romney's proposed Medicaid cuts in a new television ad Tuesday.

The ad, titled "Only Choice," is the campaign's second spot focused on Medicaid — an issue that got hardly any attention until former President Clinton assailed Romney's Medicaid plan at the Democratic convention last month.

The ad focuses on Medicaid's coverage of nursing-home stays.

Mitt Romney pre-existing conditions plan has huge gaps.

U.S. meningitis cases mount from thousands of patients at risk.

Chicago opts for wellness competition over soda tax.

Mississippi fights over health law as states resist key element.

Mitt Romney appears to be closing the gap on healthcare issues, according to the latest survey from the Pew Research Center for People and the Press.

The survey shows Romney with a 4-point lead over President Obama following last week's debate. Healthcare was seen as one of Obama's better moments during the debate, but the Pew poll says he has lost a lot of ground to Romney on the issue.

Obama leads Romney by 3 points on which candidate survey participants think would be better at "dealing with health care," and by the same margin on Medicare. Obama had a 13-point edge on both questions in last month's Pew poll.

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