Republicans may be vulnerable on Medicare, social issues in Nov. elections

Political news coverage includes highlight some continuing health care issues.

The New York Times: Concern in G.O.P. Over State Focus on Social Issues
The recent flurry of socially conservative legislation, on issues ranging from expanding gun rights to placing new restrictions on abortion, comes as Republicans at the national level are eager to refocus attention on economic issues. Some Republican strategists and officials, reluctant to be identified because they do not want to publicly antagonize the party's base, fear that the attention these divisive social issues are receiving at the state level could harm the party's chances in November, when its hopes of winning back the White House will most likely rest with independent voters in a handful of swing states (Cooper, 4/20).

Politico: Paul Ryan Goes National
[A]s his public profile has soared, [Rep. Paul] Ryan has quietly built a national political operation that's flush with cash and designed to defend himself and his party against attacks. ... But it certainly doesn't hurt to have this kind of impressive operation in the works if Ryan gets tapped as vice president -; or if he wants to make a national run himself in the future. ... The downside: His time in the House leaves plenty of fertile ground for attack, and his aggressive overhaul of Medicare and proposed tax cuts for the wealthy make him an easy target for opponents (Sherman and Bresnahan, 4/20).

CNN: Manchin May Buck Party In Presidential Voe
As a Democrat in conservative West Virginia, Sen. Joe Manchin has sought to make his independence clear. ... "I have some real differences with both Governor Romney and the President, as I have said many times," he said in the statement. "I think there are many West Virginians like me who have deep concerns about Governor Romney understanding the challenges ordinary people face. And there are many West Virginians who believe that he's out of touch, especially because of his plan to end Medicare as we know it" (4/20).

Roll Call: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Continues to Spend Heavily on Lobbying, Filings Show 
The chamber's quarterly lobbying bill during the height of the health care debate at the end of 2009 soared to $71 million, cementing its reputation as the biggest spender on K Street. ... Chamber spokeswoman Blair Latoff said the [chamber] .... ran ads in the first quarter against the health care law -; which is facing a constitutional challenge at the Supreme Court (Ackley, 4/20).