Ron Paul takes strong stand on government's role in health care; Obama asks supporters to 'stick with him'

While GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul told his supporters that Medicare and Medicaid have no basis in the Constitution, President Barack Obama asked his backers to stay with him in the upcoming election.

The Associated Press: GOP Hopeful Paul Says No Medicare In Constitution
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul wants the federal government out of the health care business... He told an overflow crowd of about 500 at an event Tuesday night that there's no provision in the Constitution for Medicare and Medicaid, the federal programs that cover millions of seniors and children (Peoples, 12/13).

The Associated Press: Obama Beseeches Supporters To Stick With Him
Imploring supporters to stick with him, President Barack Obama acknowledged Tuesday that his re-election is not "a slam dunk" because of understandable public skepticism over the economy but said his campaign would put forward a vision aligned with the mood of the country. The president, addressing donors at a hotel near the White House, drew attention to his efforts to heal the economy, end the Iraq war and overhaul health care but said "all those things don't mean that much to somebody if they're still out of work right now or their house is still underwater by $100,000. So, yeah, this is going to be tough" (Thomas, 12/13).