MIAMI, Fla. — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is in Miami campaigning without his new running mate, Wis. Rep. Paul Ryan.
The Obama campaign has wasted no time attacking the vice presidential hopeful with new ads in Florida.
Ryan heads out on his own for the first time Monday in the battleground state of Iowa as Romney continues his bus tour in Saint Augustine.
"We are going to make sure Florida puts him (President Barack Obama) out of office," said Romney.
Medicare is the key issue for the state's many retired seniors, and Romney's selection of Ryan has put the issue front and center. Romney has tried to distance himself from the Ryan budget plan.
"The president's idea for Medicare is to cut $700 billion. We need to preserve and protect Medicare. Paul Ryan and I are going to find a way to cut the budget," said Romney.
Obama, campaigning in Iowa on Monday, came out swinging.
"They think we just get rid of more regulations on big corporations, and just give more tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. We end Medicare as we know it and make it a voucher system that it will lead to more jobs and prosperity for everybody," said Obama.
The Obama campaign is already on the attack, releasing a new web ad in Florida where seniors blast Ryan's proposed Medicare changes.
Ryan's entry into the race has distracted from issues that dominated the campaign trail before the vice presidential selection, like Romney's tax returns.
Romney has released two years of his records, but he apparently requested many more returns from his vice president contenders.
Romney was supposed to host a housing roundtable in Orlando on Monday, but that event was canceled.
Campaign staffers have said the GOP candidate will reschedule the event.
WFTV
