Republicans and Democrats Hone In On Health Law To Rally Supporters
Presidential candidate Rick Perry releases a new TV spot bashing frontrunner Newt Gingrich and rival Mitt Romney for supporting health care policies similar to those of President Obama, while Newark Mayor Cory Booker focuses on the health law's benefits for young people as he campaigns for the president in New Hampshire.
Des Moines Register: In A Blitz Of Iowa Advertising, Rick Perry Goes Negative In New TV Spot Airing Today
Rick Perry's latest Iowa campaign ad is his first negative TV spot – and it targets frontrunner Newt Gingrich, rival Mitt Romney and the federal health care program known as "ObamaCare." The 30-second television spot, called "Repeal," is already airing on cable and network TV here (Jacobs, 12/8).
The Hill: Perry Ad Hits Romney, Gingrich On Health Care
Rick Perry is honing in on healthcare as he tries to reboot his fledgling presidential campaign. Perry’s campaign released a new ad Thursday attacking GOP front-runners Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney for supporting healthcare policies similar to President Obama’s healthcare law. "We don’t want government-mandated healthcare," the ad’s narrator says. "Yet Newt Gingrich supports it. And Mitt Romney? He put it into law in Massachusetts. Worse, Barack Obama forced it on the entire nation" (Baker, 12/8).
The Texas Tribune: Perry Ad Hits Newt, Mitt on Health Care Mandate
Gov. Rick Perry is attacking his Republican opponents in a TV ad for the first time in the presidential race, going after the top two front-runners in an increasingly aggressive effort to get his campaign back on track. ... "Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and President Obama all support government health care mandates," Perry spokesman Ray Sullivan said in a written statement. "Gov. Perry opposes government-mandated health coverage. ..." (Smith and Root, 12/8).
Romney also unleashed an ad that notes Gingrich's work for the health care industry.
The Associated Press: GOP's Romney Opens Stronger Attack On Gingrich
The Romney-aligned super PAC ad says that the former House speaker was once fined for ethics violations. It also says that Gingrich, who had a consultant business after leaving office, earned at least $1.6 million from federally backed mortgage lender Freddie Mac and $37 million from health care industry groups (Hunt and Beaumont, 12/8).
Meanwhile, Obama's campaign is also talking about health care.
Boston Globe: Newark Mayor To Campaign For Obama
Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, a rising star in the Democratic Party, will visit New Hampshire today to campaign for President Obama in an attempt to reinvigorate the excitement young people felt for Obama in 2008... With the Republican presidential candidates pledging to repeal Obama’s health care legislation, Booker will focus on its benefits to young people - specifically, provisions that young adults must be allowed to remain on their parents’ health insurance until age 26 (Schoenberg, 12/9).
And some House Democrats are laying out their ideas before the election.
Politico Pro: New Democrats Lay Out Health Priorities
The New Democrat Coalition says it plans to pursue health IT, new payment reforms and delivery models and FDA reforms in 2012 — issues that could align it closely with priorities of the health industry. The group of centrist House Democrats plans to release a white paper Friday outlining its policy priorities. The paper, obtained by POLITICO, spells out a set of broad goals that won't get a lot of arguments: a new Medicare payment system that rewards quality, new delivery models that increase efficiency, an FDA approval process that moves more quickly and widespread adoption of health IT systems (Haberkorn, 12/9).