http://youtu.be/NjmSk-m4Efc

A new ad from Rep. Mark Critz (D-Cambria) lays out a basic case against Republican Keith Rothfus and the House GOP budget which he supports. Critz accuses Rothfus of wanting to end the current Medicare system.

“Keith Rothfus supports the Ryan budget.  The Ryan budget ends the current Medicare program in 10 years,” an announcer says. “Instead seniors would get a set amount of money to negotiate with insurance companies. There would be no more guaranteed benefits. And seniors would pay thousands of dollars more every year.”

Both campaigns have gone back and forth over the proposal, with Rothfus often noting that inaction would fail to prevent Medicare from going bankrupt.

“Mr. Critz again says Keith will end Medicare and make seniors pay more, but the paper he cites on the exact same day said ‘It wouldn’t do that’ and ‘This is also an exaggeration,’ said Jonathan Raso, Rothfus’ Campaign Manager.

“It should be noted that Mr. Critz never says in the ad that he is not actually lying, because he has again issued the PolitiFact ‘Lie of the Year.’”

Critz’s ad avoids the broad statements addressed in the Politifact ‘Life of the Year’ article Raso references, saying the Ryan budget “ends the current Medicare program in 10 years.” Politifact wrote that the Ryan plan “kept Medicare intact for people 55 or older, but dramatically changed the program for everyone else by privatizing it and providing government subsidies.”

Critz’s ad improperly implies that the program won’t be around in 10 years for anyone. Likewise, the additional out-of-pocket costs wouldn’t directly affect current seniors.

Julianne Victain contributed to this article.