Obama, Romney Tout Their Experience on Health Care Reforms
Although health care issues have been seen as a "liability" for President Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, both focused on the issue on Wednesday, The Hill's "Healthwatch" reports (Baker, "Healthwatch," The Hill, 8/8).
Obama Highlights Reform Law's Benefits for Women
At a campaign stop in Colorado, Obama defended the Affordable Care Act, focusing on women's health and reproductive issues (Haberkorn, Politico, 8/8). He said, "The decisions that affect a woman's health, they're not up to politicians. They're not up to insurance companies. They're up to you," adding, "And you deserve a president that will fight to keep it that way."
Obama also criticized Romney for vowing to repeal the overhaul and to end public funding for Planned Parenthood. He highlighted benefits that would be lost without the ACA, including no-cost preventive services and coverage for people with pre-existing conditions (Calmes/Gabriel, New York Times, 8/9).
Obama said that Romney's proposals would "take us back to the policies more suited to the 1950s than the 21st century" (Hennessey, Los Angeles Times, 8/8).
Romney Campaign Highlights Massachusetts Health Reform Efforts
Meanwhile, Romney campaign spokesperson Andrea Saul drew criticism from conservatives on Wednesday because of comments she made on the former Massachusetts governor's health reform efforts, the New York Times' "The Caucus" reports (Gabriel, "The Caucus," New York Times, 8/8).
Romney campaign has "typically steered clear" of the Massachusetts health reform law -- which he signed as governor in 2006 -- because of concerns by many conservatives that the law "too closely mimics the Democratic health care law they are determined to undo," according to the Washington Post.
Saul -- in an interview with Fox News -- was responding to an advertisement run by Priorities USA Action, a political action committee that supports Obama. In the ad, a laid-off steelworker states that his family lost health care coverage because Bain Capital -- co-founded by Romney -- closed the company. The steelworker continues that his wife eventually died from cancer (Helderman/Blake, Washington Post, 8/8).
Saul called the ad "despicable," and added that if the steelworker and his family "had been in Massachusetts, under Gov. Romney's health care plan, they would have had health care" (Robillard, Politico, 8/8).
The Romney campaign noted that Romney left Bain in 1999 and thus had no part in the decision to close the company. However, Saul's comments could distract from that message and remind voters of the link between Romney's Massachusetts health reform law and the federal health reform law, "The Caucus" reports ("The Caucus," New York Times, 8/8).
Conservatives immediately criticized the comment. Radio host Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday said Saul's comments are "a potential gold mine for Obama supporters," adding, "They can say, 'Romneycare was the basis for our health care.'" Conservative columnist Erick Erickson said Saul's comments were "an unforced error of monumental idiocy."
Romney Points to Experience With Health Reform
At a campaign stop on Wednesday, Romney said his experience in Massachusetts makes him an expert on health reform, the Post reports.
After reiterating his pledge to repeal the federal health reform law, Romney said, "We've got to do some reforms in health care, and I have some experience doing that, as you know."
Romney has long insisted that although the reform law he signed has worked for Massachusetts, it is not a federal solution (Washington Post, 8/8).
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