Women's health, health law issues heating up campaigns

May 4 2012

News outlets examine how women's health issues and the health law are affecting the presidential race as well as specific campaigns for Senate, congressional and state races.

CNN: Obama Campaign: Romney, McDonnell And Women Voters
The Obama campaign renewed its focus on women voters Thursday with a stepped up attack on Mitt Romney. … The campaign is releasing the tool and memo on the same day Romney plans to appear with Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who is widely believed to be among the top contenders for the GOP vice presidential slot. McDonnell has become something of a lightning rod among left-leaning women's groups after he supported -- then modified -- legislation that would have required women seeking abortion to submit to an invasive ultrasound before the procedure (Yellin and Steinhauser, 5/3).

Politico: Issue Of Health-Care Reform Emerges In Races
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are the marquee names in this year's partisan fight over health care, but the undercard is pretty compelling, too. In House and Senate races across the country, from New York to Wisconsin to Montana, the president's health care law is re-emerging as a central issue in the fight for control in Congress (Allen and Haberkorn, 5/2).

The Associated Press: Democrats In GOP-Leaning House Races May Aid Obama
The best example of the trend is former Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack, challenging GOP Rep. Steve King in Iowa's 4th Congressional District. ... King supports repealing the [health law]. Vilsack said she supports aspects of it but stopped short of saying whether she would have supported it or whether she supports its central provision of requiring all Americans to obtain health insurance (Beaumont, 5/3).

Politico: House GOP Keeps Up Health Care Messaging
The National Republican Congressional Committee released a TV ad this morning targeting Pennsylvania Rep. Mark Critz on the issue of health care, criticizing him for not opposing "Obama's radical policies." Critz won a primary last month against fellow Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire, and is one of the few incumbent Dems with a real reelection fight on his hands. Says the ad: "Critz has opposed efforts to repeal or defund Obamacare 20 times." The ad -- coming at the very start of the general election -- clearly signals that House Republicans plan to continue campaigning on the issue of health care, despite having a presidential nominee with a less-than-orthodox record (Burns, 5/2).

Boston Globe: Scott Brown: Elizabeth Warren's Criticism Of His Health Insurance Decision Is 'Sad'
Senator Scott Brown said today that "it's sad" for rival Elizabeth Warren to criticize his decision to continue insuring one of his daughters through the Obama administration health care law that he has opposed and tried to repeal. "For her to call me a hypocrite as to how Gail and I provide for our family, it's sad," Brown told reporters after a speech at Bunker Hill Community College. His wife is former Boston television reporter Gail Huff (Johnson, 5/2).

Reuters/Chicago Tribune: Wisconsin Governor, Likely Rival Tied In Recall Vote -- Poll
Walker enraged Democrats and unions representing government workers last year when he pushed through the legislature a measure reducing the powers of public sector unions. The law forced workers to pay a portion of the cost of health insurance and pensions, capped wage increases and required most unions to be recertified every year (O'Brien, 5/2).