Obama, Romney pass Sunday in church

Associated Press

WOLFEBORO, N.H.

President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney spent a quiet Sunday attending church with their families, resting up for the campaign’s final 11 weeks and the approaching party nominating conventions.

While the Romneys enjoyed sunshine in New Hampshire, and the Obamas endured rain in Washington, both men sent top advisers to the Sunday talk shows. These surrogates sparred mainly over Medicare and taxes, just as the candidates themselves have done for days.

Obama and Romney plunge back into heavy campaigning and fundraising this week. Targeted states include Ohio, Nevada and New Hampshire.

The debate’s dominant topic remains how to tame Medicare’s explosive growth without hurting the millions of elderly Americans, and future retirees, who count on it to pay for health care.

TV interviewers pressed Romney aides to explain how the GOP ticket can restore a proposed $716 billion cut in Medicare spending’s growth over 10 years without worsening the program’s projected shortfall in funding. Moderators also noted that Romney’s running mate, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, originally joined Obama in backing the proposed $716 billion, 10-year reduction.

Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom told CNN’s “State of the Union” that Ryan and Romney are now in accord. The $716 billion can safely remain in the program, he said, because Romney will “introduce choice and competition through more private plans.”

Romney also would trim benefits for wealthier people and gradually raise the eligibility age.

Obama aide Stephanie Cutter, also on CNN, said Romney’s plan to keep the $716 billion in Medicare over 10 years would do nothing to shore up the program.