Obama-aligned group launches ad against Romney

A new, Obama-aligned "super PAC" launched an early 2012 presidential campaign ad today, taking aim at former Massachusetts Governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for his positions on health care.

The new ad hits the airwaves a full 17 months before the 2012 election and shows that Democrats intend to make use of the new form of political action action committees, which allow independent groups to spend money and make donations with few restrictions.

The anti-Romney ad comes from Priorities USA Action, the Super PAC co-founded last month by two former aides to President Obama, Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney. It launches today in South Carolina, one day before Romney visits the early primary state. While focusing on Romney, the ad also takes a jab at another GOP presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

"Newt Gingrich says the Republican plan that would essentially end Medicare is too 'radical,'" a female narrator says in the ad. "[South Carolina] Governor [Nikki] Haley thinks the plan is courageous, and Gingrich shouldn't be cutting conservatives off at the knees. Mitt Romney says he's 'on the same page' as Paul Ryan, who wrote the plan to essentially end Medicare. But with Mitt Romney, you have to wonder: Which page is he on today?"

The ad revolves around Republican Rep. Paul Ryan's controversial plan to turn Medicare into a voucher system -- a topic that put Gingrich in hot water this week. Exploiting the shifts in policy positions that have earned Romney a reputation as inconsistent, it also attempts to portray one of Mr. Obama's potential general election opponents as a flip-flopper.

Romney has already had to defend the Massachusetts health care plan that he implemented as governor. He has argued that he stands by the Massachusetts law, even though opposes Mr. Obama's similar federal health care reforms.

Andrea Saul, a spokesperson for Romney, said in a statement that Mr. Obama and his team are "desperate to change the subject to anything other than jobs and the millions of Americans out of work," noting that this is the first negative ad of the election season.

Similarly, the Republican National Committee charged the president's supporters are resorting to negative campaigning because they are "unable to defend two and a half years of high unemployment, runaway debt and higher taxes."

Paul Begala, an adviser to Priorities USA, told the New York Times, "The spot shows that Priorities USA Action, like the conservative group it is seeking to counter, American Crossroads, will work as something of a roving hit squad."

Modeled after the Karl Rove-affiliated American Crossroads and affiliated groups, Priorities USA Action is backed by identified donors but can give unlimited amounts. A second group, Priorities USA, will advertise about related campaign issues using money from undisclosed donors.