Ryan on Medicare cut: Obama did it first

WARREN, Ohio (AP) -- Republican vice presidential contender Paul Ryan says he never would have included a $700 billion Medicare cut in his budget if President Barack Obama hadn't done it first.

"He put those cuts there," Ryan said Thursday, responding to a reporter's question while eating a hot dog in a Warren, Ohio, restaurant. "We would never have done it in the first place."

Medicare, the health care program for tens of millions of seniors, has become a key issue in the race for the White House.

The Wisconsin congressman is perhaps best known for authoring a controversial budget plan that would transform Medicare into a voucher-like system. He and Romney say the change is needed to preserve the popular program for future generations.

The Republican candidates have launched a new strategy recently to criticize Obama for taking more than $700 billion in Medicare funds to help pay for his health care overhaul.

"The president was talking about Medicare yesterday. I'm excited about this," Ryan said during a Thursday campaign stop in North Canton. "This is a debate we want to have, this is a debate we need to have and this is a debate we're going to win."

But Ryan did not mention that his own budget proposal included the same cut. A reporter pressed him on the issue during an impromptu stop at a local hot dog restaurant on Thursday.