Today鈥檚 early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including the latest developments and polling news from the presidential campaign trail as well as details about how Medicare and other health issues are shaping up in House and Senate races.
: Presidential Contest Tight Nationally Ahead Of Second Debate
On the eve of their second debate, President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney remain locked in a virtual dead heat nationally, with Republicans showing increased enthusiasm for their nominee after his big win in the first debate, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll (Balz and Cohen, 10/15).
: Town-Hall Format Could Dull Barbs In Second Debate
Mr. Romney propelled himself into a slim lead in some national polls after the first debate and opened up a race that had seemed to be moving decisively in the president鈥檚 favor. Mr. Romney has held dozens of town-hall events over the past year and a half, but has invariably faced admiring crowds. The scenario on Tuesday puts him in front of a crowd that will include some fans of the president. 鈥� Democrats caution the president can鈥檛 afford a second subpar showing, and Mr. Obama has promised to show more vigor at the debate. 鈥� Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Mr. Obama is focused on 鈥渕aking a passionate case鈥� for why he is the right choice in the election, noting the candidates鈥� differences on tax cuts, Medicare and women鈥檚 health issues (Nicholas and Lee, 10/14).
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: Obama And Romney Working Two Different Angles
New Obama campaign ads in battleground states are hitting at Romney鈥檚 plan to cut Medicaid. 鈥� The ads warn that Romney would 鈥渂urden families with the cost of nursing home care,鈥� while assuring voters that Obama 鈥渨on鈥檛 let that happen.鈥� The latest commercials follow months of earlier Obama ads designed to drive up negative impressions of Romney and feed the notion that he lacks understanding or concern for the problems of everyday Americans. 鈥� But Romney鈥檚 strong debate showing last week helped improve his favorable ratings in the polls. And Republicans are counting on dissatisfaction with Obama to overcome any residual doubts that voters may have about Romney (West, 10/12).
: Central Issues Of Election 2012
Whoever wins the presidential elec颅tion in November will confront urgent problems. 鈥� What follows is our best ef颅fort to make clear where Obama and Romney stand on several major domestic and foreign policy issues that will face whichever man wins. 鈥� Medicare poses knottier problems. Not only has the number of recipients increased, but the costs per person have gone up as medical care has gotten pricier. The Congressional Budget Office projects that Medicare spending will go up more than 6% a year for the next decade. That鈥檚 why the most consequential disagreements between the candidates regarding federal spending involve healthcare (Lauter, 10/13).
: To the Winner: Good Luck鈥擸ou鈥檒l Need It
Social Security and Medicare, most agree, are on unsustainable fiscal ground. Taxes will have to be raised, and spending reined in, to ensure the systems stay solvent. This is a major item on your to-do list. But here鈥檚 the problem. There鈥檚 only so much you can cut, because 80 million baby boomers are starting to retire (Arends, 10/13).
: Contraception Rule Opponents Feel 鈥楳omentum鈥� After VP Debate
Joe Biden and Paul Ryan tangled over the Obama administration鈥檚 contraception coverage requirement Thursday night, but the real fight has headed to the courts 鈥� and the rule鈥檚 opponents say they鈥檙e gaining steam. They鈥檙e certainly piling up lawsuits. But whether that鈥檚 real momentum 鈥� or just a growing stack of legal briefs 鈥� remains to be seen (Smith, 10/13).
: At VP Debate, Biden Mixed Up Medicare And Medicaid
Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday night that Rep. Paul Ryan鈥檚 budget would mean 19 million people would be thrown off Medicare. A lot of big numbers get thrown around in the Medicare debate, but that one doesn鈥檛 crop up a lot. Some conservatives said flat out that Biden made it up in the debate with Ryan. But the Obama campaign says Biden just misspoke. He meant Medicaid, according to campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith (Kenen, 10/12).
: As Election Nears, Political Ads Are Bombarding TV Viewers; Campaigns Risk Turning Off Voters
There鈥檚 no doubt that TV advertising has the power to shift voter perceptions, particularly when a candidate is not well known. Romney prevailed in the Republican primaries after he and his allies buried his two main rivals with negative advertising in early voting states. Obama鈥檚 team tagged Romney as a ruthless corporate raider with a flood of negative advertising in the early stages of the general election. The ads may have shaped perceptions in states such as Ohio, where Obama has held a narrow lead in polling for weeks (10/15).
: In Senate Race, Northern Virginia Seniors Look Beyond Medicare, Social Security
For most campaigns, the equation is simple: Seniors care about Medicare and Social Security 鈥� and often vote 鈥� so candidates vow loudly and frequently to protect the programs. But for U.S. Senate contenders Timothy M. Kaine (D) and George Allen (R), this year鈥檚 election is a bit more complicated, as they learned while courting older Virginia voters last week (Pershing, 10/13).
: Some Candidates Mum On Tough Policy Questions
Curious what Virginia Republican Senate candidate George Allen thinks about his own party鈥檚 law that forces women seeking abortions to have ultrasounds? Too bad. He refused to say during a recent debate (10/15).
: Long Beach Congressional Race Has National Import
The fight over a local congressional seat may look like a dust-up between two men who share a Long Beach base and little else. But the contest is a high-stakes rumble that could figure in the battle for control of the House.聽 This particular war zone is one of 10 competitive congressional districts in California, the largest number in more than a decade, courtesy of new political maps. The Republican candidate, City Councilman Gary DeLong, and the Democrat, state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, may emphasize their local ties and accomplishments, but the national parties want the race to be a referendum on the economy and federal budget, Social Security, Medicare and the Affordable Health Care Act (Merl, 10/15).
: Ventura County Congressional District Is A Battleground
Brownley supports Obama鈥檚 healthcare overhaul and his push to roll back Bush-era tax cuts to help lower the deficit. Strickland calls Obama鈥檚 stimulus package a failure that has resulted in too few jobs and too much debt. He backs a cut in corporate taxes and doesn鈥檛 want the Bush tax cuts to expire. The testiest issue in the contest has been Medicare. Brownley said she would not cut benefits for seniors and would oppose any effort to replace Medicare with a voucher system, as proposed by GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (Saillant, 10/15).
: Social Security Benefits To Rise 1% To 2% In 2013
Some of next year鈥檚 raise could be wiped out by higher Medicare premiums, which are deducted from Social Security payments. The Medicare Part B premium, which covers doctor visits, is expected to rise about $7 per month for 2013, according to government projections (Ohlemacher, 10/14).
: U.S. Ties Hospital Payments To Making Patients Happy
Nearly $1 billion in payments to hospitals over the next year will be based in part on patient satisfaction, determined by a 27-question government survey administered to patients. Hospitals with high scores will get a bonus payment. Those with low ones will lose money (Adamy, 10/14).
: WellPoint To Reorganize Into 4 Unites
Health insurer WellPoint Inc. will reorganize into four business units in the first major move undertaken by interim Chief Executive John Cannon. In a memo sent to employees Friday, Cannon said the changes will help smooth the integration of Amerigroup Corp., the insurer Indianapolis-based WellPoint agreed to buy in July for $4.9 billion. The reorganization will put Amerigroup CEO James Carlson in charge of the combined company鈥檚 Medicaid business, while Chief Financial Officer Wayne DeVeydt remains in his job (10/12).
: Pharmacies Fought Controls
How these firms escaped closer regulation shows how little happens in Washington absent an emergency. Top lawmakers and federal officials tried for years to increase regulation. A countereffort by the industry and a series of court decisions helped beat that back. Federal agencies debated about who should crack down on the industry. Lawmakers eventually abandoned their push after deciding the issue wasn鈥檛 important enough (Burton, Grimaldi and Martin, 10/14).