Gingrich, Romney abortion ads question conservative credentials

GOP presidential contenders Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are trading blows on abortion with a series of ads that question each candidate's conservative credentials on the issue. In the meantime, Kaiser Health News looks at the differences among the GOP candidates in how they would reform Medicare.

NPR: Gingrich, Romney Go At It Over Abortion
The latest abortion battle doesn't pit those on opposite sides of the issue against each other. Rather, it features two of the leading GOP candidates for president, each charging the other is less than pure as the race heads to socially conservative South Carolina (Rovner, 1/12).

The Washington Post: The Fact Checker: New Gingrich's Claim That Romney Governed As A 'Pro-Abortion' Governor
Gingrich, still justifiably angry at a tough ad by a Romney-affiliated Super PAC that mischaracterized his position on abortion, has counterattacked with his own ad that calls into question Romney's support for restrictions on abortion. ... After Romney's shift on abortion, it is a stretch to say that he governed as a "pro-abortion" governor, especially in light of his veto of the emergency contraception bill. But as governor he was inconsistent on the issue, at least according to the standards of anti-abortion advocates, and thus has left himself open to this kind of attack (Kessler, 1/11).

The Associated Press: AdWatch: Gingrich Ad Targets Romney On Abortion
Alleging that Romney functioned as a "pro-abortion" governor, the ad seeks to revive questions about flip-flopping and trustworthiness. ... Gingrich's ad will also highlight for the first time an issue that, in 2008, was a key vulnerability for Romney, when he first sought the GOP presidential nomination. Then, Romney's shift on abortion rights made many conservative voters wary of him, but it has yet to become a front-row issue this time around (Jackson, 1/11).

Kaiser Health News: Health On The Hill: United Against Health Law, Medicare Reforms Divide GOP Presidential Candidates (video)
Kaiser Health News staff writers Mary Agnes Carey and Marilyn Werber Serafini talk with Jackie Judd about Tuesday's New Hampshire GOP primary. The GOP field is united in their opposition against Obama's Health Law, but differences remain in how they would reform Medicare (1/11). Watch the video or read the transcript.

And CNN offers a video comparing Romney's health care reform to President Obama's -;

CNN (Video): 'RomneyCare' vs. 'ObamaCare'
Mitt Romney says he'd repeal President Obama's health care plan, but critics say it's modeled after his own plan.