Romney takes a page out of Obama’s 2008 playbook

In the most recent back-and-forth between the two campaigns on Medicare, the Romney campaign has decided to turn President Obama’s words against him.

Romney for President’s latest television ad uses a sound bite of Obama hammering his then GOP opponent for proposing cuts to Medicare. The ad cuts to a clip of Obama at a rally claiming McCain “would pay for part of his plan by making drastic cuts in Medicare, $882 billion worth. It ain’t right.”

A voiceover claims, “as President, Barack Obama cut $700 billion from Medicare to pay for ‘ObamaCare, what would Candidate Obama say about President Obama’s Medicare cuts?”

The ad concludes, “No, Mr. President. It ain’t right.”

Obama’s former opponent, Senator John McCain, told Fox News he is all too familiar with the line of attack.

“In 2008, they attacked me on exactly what they did, so they are relying on the American people having amnesia.” McCain said that President Obama’s recent comments and ads claiming Romney’s Medicare plan will cost seniors the “height of hypocrisy” and shows the desperation of the campaign that “has changed from 2008’s hope and change to attacks against Romney.”

In addition to Obama using the line of attack in a stump speech, the Obama campaign used similar rhetoric in a 2008 ad.

"How would your golden years turn out under John McCain? His health care plan would cut Medicare by $800 billion -- that means a 22 percent cut in benefits. Higher premiums and co-pays ... after a lifetime of work, senior's health care shouldn't be a gamble. John McCain's plan, it's not the change we need."

Factcheck.org, a nonpartisan group, ruled these claims and the Republican claims that President Obama raided Medicare to pay for Obamacare as false. While some experts doubt all of the spending cuts in the Affordable Care Act will be implemented, the organization says if they are “Medicare would spend less each year than it had been expected to otherwise, allowing Medicare to stretch further the income it receives from payroll taxes and premiums.