Romney campaign focuses on new trio of states

With just days to go until Election Day, the Romney campaign sees possibilities to win in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Minnesota, while pro-Obama groups launch new ads about Medicare and women's health.

The Washington Post: Romney Forces See Pennsylvania, Michigan And Minnesota Ripe For Turning Red
After a season dominated by talk of Ohio, Virginia and Florida, Campaign 2012 suddenly shifted focus to a new trio of states Wednesday amid a new verbal battle about which candidate is better positioned to win on Tuesday (Balz, Merkon and Kane, 10/31).

The New York Times' Political Memo: In Dwindling Days Of The Race, Romney Takes A Softer Tack
There are plenty of carry-overs, of course: he dings President Obama's health care law as cumbersome and bemoans the size of the federal debt as immoral, as he has since 2011, when he entered the race. But even if the extent of the evolution is up for argument, there is little debate that Mr. Romney is finishing the presidential campaign as a milder candidate than when he started (Barbaro, 10/31).

The Washington Post: Ad Watch: Pro-Obama Group Ties Romney To Medicare Fraud
What it says: "[Rick] Scott ran a company that paid a record fine for committing Medicare fraud. Then, as governor, Scott cut millions from health care. Romney was director of a company that stole millions from Medicare. Now, Romney's plan would end Medicare as we know it." What it means: A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll finds that Romney is closing the gap with President Obama on who would better handle Medicare. This ad seeks to widen it by linking Medicare cuts to Medicare fraud (Weiner, 10/31).

The Hill: Planned Parenthood Launches $853K Ad Buy Against Romney
Planned Parenthood's political wing is making what could be its final attempt to alienate female voters from Mitt Romney before the election. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) is spending $853,000 to run a 60-second radio ad on Colorado, Ohio and Virginia airwaves until Tuesday. The ad accuses Romney of holding views on women that "seem like they're from the 1950s." It also paints Obama as the right choice on the economy (Viebeck, 10/31).