Romney’s New Ad: The Least That Younger Americans Can Do Is Accept Medicare Changes

Mitt Romney's campaign released on Thursday a new ad urging younger Americans to accept that their version of Medicare will be different from their parents’.

In the new 31-second-long ad titled “Least We Can Do,” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a young and rising star in the Republican Party, tried to make the case for the Medicare changes, revealing that his 81-year-old mother is dependent on the federal government-administered insurance program.

Rubio, a strong Romney supporter, said the nominee and his running mate, Paul Ryan, understand the Medicare issue and are not playing politics.

“Medicare is going broke,” Rubio said. “That’s not politics. It’s math. Anyone who wants to leave Medicare like it is is for letting it go bankrupt.”

Rubio also said the Romney-Ryan plan will only work if younger Americans accept the party’s Medicare plan.

“We can save Medicare without changing hers, but only if younger Americans will accept that our Medicare will be different than our parents when we retire in 30 years,” Rubio said in reference to his mother being on Medicare. “But after all they did for us, isn’t that the least we can do?"

$716B In Cuts In Both Plans

Medicare has become one of the pressing issues on the campaign trail, with cuts being proposed.

Ryan has argued that the $716 billion cut that’s a part of President Barack Obama’s plan is a “piggy bank” to fund Obamacare. He has also said that the Republican Medicare plan will not affect those who are already over 55 years old.

Obama’s aides have argued that Ryan’s plan included the same reduction amount.

Targeting Seniors

While the new ad may be speaking to the younger generation, it could also be an introduction to the Republican’s move to woo seniors this week.

Ryan will address the AARP, the largest association of retired people in the U.S., on Friday.

Ryan’s 2011 budget cut proposals included giving vouchers to seniors to buy health insurance. That was later revised to give seniors a choice between the current system and the voucher program.

While on the campaign trail, Romney has said his plan for Medicare is “very similar” to Ryan’s, “which is do not change the program for current retirees or near-retirees, but do not do what the president has done and that is to cut $700 billion out of the current program.”