Wis. Senate candidates wrestle with health policy issues

Oct 24 2012

Medicare and the health law also are emerging as flashpoints in Pennsylvania's Senate contest and various House races.  

Kaiser Health News: Wis. Senate Candidates Spar Over Health Issues
The hard-fought campaign for an open Senate seat in Wisconsin-;a centrist state that recently has become politically torn-;has delved deeply into the politics of health policy and Medicare (Cohen, 10/22).

Politico Pro: DSCC Ad Focuses On Thompson's Medicare Slip
Tommy Thompson's slip of the tongue on Medicare last summer was always going to be hard for the Democrats to the resist. And sure enough, they're pouncing. In a new radio ad out Monday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee seizes on the Republican Wisconsin Senate candidate's comments that he would "do away" with both Medicaid and Medicare. The ad features a clip of Thompson saying, "Who better than me … to do away with Medicaid and Medicare?" during a speech to a tea party group in June (Smith, 10/22).

The Washington Post: In Pennsylvania, Sen. Robert Casey Gets Unexpected Republican Challenge
Casey finally began running an ad that links Smith to the Senate conservatives who would overhaul Medicare and Social Security, a key issue for a state that has one of the nation's oldest populations. "This isn't just a one-liner. They are deadly serious," Casey warned supporters. The aim is to define (GOP contender Tom) Smith as a fringe member of the tea party movement (Kane, 10/22).

The Associated Press: Obama Health Care Law A Flashpoint In 3rd District
U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany (of Louisiana) has voted to repeal President Barack Obama's signature health care overhaul more than 30 times in Congress. That hasn't stopped his congressional race opponent, U.S. Rep. Jeff Landry, from attacking Boustany as a supporter of the law known as Obamacare. In a recurring point of attack, Landry has run ads saying Boustany has backed many of the broader ideas in the health care law, called the Affordable Care Act (10/22).

Los Angeles Times: After 40 Years, California's Rep. Pete Stark Faces Tough Battle
Stark first gained national attention as the "hippie banker" who, during the Vietnam War, put a peace symbol on the headquarters of the bank he founded in the East Bay. He was an architect of landmark legislation that allowed workers to extend health coverage for a time after leaving their jobs and required emergency rooms to screen and stabilize anyone who showed up at their doors, regardless of their ability to pay. He also played an important role in developing the 2010 Affordable Care Act, President Obama's healthcare law (Simon, 10/23).