Mitt Romney is pressing his attacks over President Obama’s changes to Medicare in a new ad which uses his Democratic opponent's own words from the 2008 campaign.
The new television ad uses a clip of Obama hammering then GOP opponent Sen. John McCain for proposing reductions to Medicare spending.
“In 2008, Candidate Barack Obama attacked John McCain for proposing cuts to Medicare,” says the narrator.
The video cuts to a clip of Obama in a stump speech claiming that McCain “would pay for part of his plan by making drastic cuts in Medicare, $882 billion worth.” At the time Obama said of McCain’s plans, “it ain’t right.”
“As President, Barack Obama cut $700 billion from Medicare to pay for ‘ObamaCare,” says a voice over. in the Romney ad. “What would Candidate Obama say about President Obama’s Medicare cuts?”
“No, Mr. President. It ain’t right,” the ad concludes.
The Romney campaign has pushed back on attacks over running mate Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) Medicare reform plans by charging the Obama administration with cutting $716 billion from the program.
Obama has countered that the reductions were to projected Medicare growth estimated over the next decade and that the savings came from targeting waste and fraud.
In his weekly address Saturday, Obama said his changes had not cut benefits by a “single dime” for any seniors.
With Ryan’s selection to the GOP ticket, the House Budget Committee Chairman’s proposals to shift Medicare to a subsidized private insurance model for those under 55 has faced heated attacks from Democrats who claim the plan would slam seniors with higher out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
Republicans though claim that Obama has already weakened the program with “disastrous cuts” which Romney has pledged to reverse.
