Obama shifts to offense on Medicare

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- President Obama plans to argue Wednesday that his administration has strengthened Medicare without cutting benefits, as the campaign for the White House shifts to a fight over which candidate is better for seniors.

Obama has saved seniors hundreds of dollars on their prescription drugs, an aide to the president said in previewing his message in Iowa.

Obama hasn’t affected benefits “by even a dime,” campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

Less than a week after selecting Paul Ryan as his running mate, Republican Mitt Romney is in a race to set the national narrative about his vision for seniors.

He hasn’t embraced Ryan’s track record on the issue as author of the House Republican budget, but also hasn’t pointed out where he disagrees with his running mate’s proposals.

In the meantime, Obama knows how he will describe Romney’s vision -- as an exact replica of Ryan’s plan to overhaul Medicare.

The president plans to lay out the choice between his plan and the Romney-Ryan plan to “end Medicare as we know it, leaving new retirees with nothing but a voucher in place of the guaranteed benefits they rely on today,” Psaki said.

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