President Obama’s campaign team released two new :30 spots this week that run across seven swing states as part of the president’s $25 million ad buy. This time they focus on veterans’ benefits and Medicare, rather than spots earlier this month that were critical of Romney’s time at Bain Capital, reports The Hill.
The Bain attacks had drawn harsh criticism from Republicans, who said they reflected an anti-business spirit from Obama, but also from some Democrats, who described the ads as unfair.
While the Obama campaign insists it is not backing down from criticism of Romney’s time at Bain — the president said Monday that his opponent’s record was “what this campaign is going to be about.”
White House press secretary Jay Carney added that “Americans would expect that credential deserves some scrutiny” — the ads are a change of pace, and could represent a reaction to criticism of his attacks.
In the first of the new spots, “Sacred Trust” — timed with the Memorial Day holiday — the president champions his record on expanding veterans’ benefits. As he speaks, on-screen text lists accomplishments like a program that offers tax credits to hire veterans and an expansion of healthcare and education benefits.
“The sacrifices that our troops have made have been incredible. It’s because of what they’ve done that we’ve been able to go after al Qaeda and kill Bin Laden,” Obama says. “When they come home we have a sacred trust to make sure that we are doing everything we can to heal all of their wounds.”
The second ad, “Personal,” is tailored towards senior citizens, and says the president has made progress fighting Medicare “scam artists” and promises “a commitment toward Medicare as personal as yours.” It discusses the Obama administration’s efforts to crack down on health care fraud, and says $4 billion was recovered from scams last year.
