Pressure builds on presidential nominees on health care issues, a GOP running mate

Aug 12 2012

The presidential race picks up with conservatives pushing presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney to pick Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as his running mate while Romney's latest TV ad accuses President Obama of using his health law to "declare war" on religion.

The New York Times: Romney Faces Pressure From Right To Put Ryan On Ticket
In rallying around Mr. Ryan, a champion of cutting government spending and reining in the costs of programs like Medicare and Medicaid, conservatives are calling for Mr. Romney to select someone who can push their fiscal agenda, but they also are setting the stage for a possible letdown on the right if Mr. Romney chooses someone else in his race against President Obama. A strongly worded Wall Street Journal editorial on Thursday urged Mr. Romney to pick Mr. Ryan, saying he "best exemplifies the nature and stakes of this election" (Shear and Gabriel, 8/9).

The Associated Press: Ad Watch: Latest Romney TV Ad Accuses Obama Using Health Care Law To 'Declare War' On Religion
This latest ad by Romney's campaign and the Republican National Committee is the former Massachusetts' governor's most direct bid yet for religious voters. Obama's health care overhaul split religious groups, with Catholic bishops and conservative Protestants strongly opposed to provisions that permitted women to buy insurance coverage for abortion, provided they used their own money. But liberal Protestant denominations supported the law, as did many religious orders of Catholic nuns, and the trade group representing Catholic hospitals (8/9).

Politico: Obama Camp Acknowledges Knowing Man's Story
Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki acknowledged Thursday that the campaign was no longer pleading ignorance about the story of a man who has appeared in both a super PAC ad and a campaign ad. … Missouri steelworker Joe Soptic starred in an Obama campaign ad and participated in a conference call with the campaign in May, as Politico reported Wednesday. He resurfaced this week in a Priorities USA Action super PAC ad, charging that his wife died of cancer after Mitt Romney's former private equity firm laid him off (Tau, 8/9).