As candidates attempt to woo swing voters, Medicare, health law become fodder on campaign trail

In addition, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports how wary voters are struggling to sort out what the candidates' different positions on Medicare would mean for them.

The Associated Press: Romney, Obama Aim At Swing Voters In Health Care
With swing voters in his sights, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is tacking toward the center on health care and defense spending now that he's put his final partisan hurdle behind him and the sprint to Nov. 6 is underway. Romney said in an interview that aired Sunday that he would retain some popular parts of the 2010 health care law he has pledged to repeal, saying the features he would keep are common-sense measures in what he calls an otherwise costly, inefficient plan. … Meanwhile, President Barack Obama focused Floridians' attention on the Republican ticket's stand on Medicare, an issue that's been more favorable to Democrats (Kuhnhenn, 9/9).

Los Angeles Times: Romney And Obama Trade Shots Over Tax-Cut Math, Medicare
After a week in which Democrats repeatedly attacked his economic plan as beneficial to the rich and devastating to the poor, Republican nominee Mitt Romney insisted Sunday that his tax and budget proposals would help rebuild the middle class in America. During a series of lengthy talk show interviews, Romney and his running mate, Paul D. Ryan, declined to go into detail on how they would pay for across-the-board tax cuts while balancing the budget over two terms in office (Reston and Parsons, 9/9).

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Wary Voters Sift Medicare Claims
Kathie Herrman is sick of flipping on the television and getting an earful about which presidential candidate wants to "rob" or "end" Medicare. "I get aggravated with them because they tell you one thing and when they start all this business of throwing mud at each other," she said, trailing off. President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney both seek to preserve the popular health insurance program for seniors and restrain its costs to the same level. The overheated rhetoric comes from their sharply contrasting visions for how to keep Medicare's costs under control and what the program will look like -; the present structure of centralized control and predetermined federal coverage or a competitive marketplace with an annual federal payment to seniors to help them buy coverage they choose (Malloy, 9/9).