Paul Ryan and his mother tout Medicare plans at Florida event:
The VP hopeful took to the offensive, seeking to reassure a large senior population about Republican plans for Medicare reform
Republican vice presidential pick Paul Ryan sought to reassure Floridians over his controversial plans for senior healthcare on Saturday, relying on his 78-year-old mother to lend a hand.
"Mom" Betty was introduced to a cheering partisan crowd at The Villages, a gated retirement cluster in the state, as her son looked to counter claims that his budget proposals would see America's cherished Medicare provisions turned into a stripped-down voucher system.
Going on the offensive over the issue, Mitt Romney's running mate said President Obama's healthcare reforms would see "one in six" hospitals go out of business and force 4 million seniors to lose their current Medicare advantage plans, which are provided by private insurers.
Moreover, a Romney-Ryan administration would not allow a "board of bureaucrats" to "mess with my mom's healthcare, or your mom's healthcare", the VP hopeful said.
His comments got a parental nod of approval from Betty, who sat beside him as he campaigned in Florida, a key swing state.
"My mom is a snowbird ... she comes down here or the winter just like so many families around the country," Ryan added in a further bid to win over an already partisan crowd.
The speech came a week after the Wisconsin House representative was named as a surprise pick by Romney as his White House running mate.
That decision put the focus back on Ryan's controversial budget-slashing proposals, which Democrats say would gut healthcare provisions for older citizens.
It has resulted in a push by the Republican White House ticket to mount a defence of their deficit reduction plan and healthcare blueprint. Polling has consistently shown that voters trust Democrats more than the GOP on the issue of Medicare – a much cherished safety net for seniors.
Florida has the highest concentration of citizens aged 65 and over in the country – some 17% of the state's population fall into that group. Hence, the decision to use mom Betty as a prop while on the stump.
The Ryan matriarch spends part of her year in the state, and has been a registered Florida voter since 1997.
Having endeared himself to seniors at The Village, he turned to the broader election campaign, the economy, and attacks on the president.
"It is clear that President Obama inherited a difficult situation, the problem is he made matters worse," he said, adding, "This is why the president has run out of ideas, this is why the president isn't running on hope and change anymore.
"He is running on anger and frustration, fear and smear. We are not going to do that."
The reference to "smears" likely relates to ongoing pressure by Obama's campaign team on the issue of Romney's personal tax returns.
Under the belief that the Republican candidate may be hiding something that could damage him in the eyes of voters, Democrats have demanded that Romney release at least five years' worth of returns.
So far, Romney has doggedly refused to do so.
guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
The VP hopeful took to the offensive, seeking to reassure a large senior population about Republican plans for Medicare reform
Republican vice presidential pick Paul Ryan sought to reassure Floridians over his controversial plans for senior healthcare on Saturday, relying on his 78-year-old mother to lend a hand.
"Mom" Betty was introduced to a cheering partisan crowd at The Villages, a gated retirement cluster in the state, as her son looked to counter claims that his budget proposals would see America's cherished Medicare provisions turned into a stripped-down voucher system.
Going on the offensive over the issue, Mitt Romney's running mate said President Obama's healthcare reforms would see "one in six" hospitals go out of business and force 4 million seniors to lose their current Medicare advantage plans, which are provided by private insurers.
Moreover, a Romney-Ryan administration would not allow a "board of bureaucrats" to "mess with my mom's healthcare, or your mom's healthcare", the VP hopeful said.
His comments got a parental nod of approval from Betty, who sat beside him as he campaigned in Florida, a key swing state.
"My mom is a snowbird ... she comes down here or the winter just like so many families around the country," Ryan added in a further bid to win over an already partisan crowd.
The speech came a week after the Wisconsin House representative was named as a surprise pick by Romney as his White House running mate.
That decision put the focus back on Ryan's controversial budget-slashing proposals, which Democrats say would gut healthcare provisions for older citizens.
It has resulted in a push by the Republican White House ticket to mount a defence of their deficit reduction plan and healthcare blueprint. Polling has consistently shown that voters trust Democrats more than the GOP on the issue of Medicare – a much cherished safety net for seniors.
Florida has the highest concentration of citizens aged 65 and over in the country – some 17% of the state's population fall into that group. Hence, the decision to use mom Betty as a prop while on the stump.
The Ryan matriarch spends part of her year in the state, and has been a registered Florida voter since 1997.
Having endeared himself to seniors at The Village, he turned to the broader election campaign, the economy, and attacks on the president.
"It is clear that President Obama inherited a difficult situation, the problem is he made matters worse," he said, adding, "This is why the president has run out of ideas, this is why the president isn't running on hope and change anymore.
"He is running on anger and frustration, fear and smear. We are not going to do that."
The reference to "smears" likely relates to ongoing pressure by Obama's campaign team on the issue of Romney's personal tax returns.
Under the belief that the Republican candidate may be hiding something that could damage him in the eyes of voters, Democrats have demanded that Romney release at least five years' worth of returns.
So far, Romney has doggedly refused to do so.
guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Comments