Blood On Their Hands': RNC Chair Hits Back at Obama Camp Over Proposed Medicare Cuts

Democrats appeared to waste no time after Mitt Romney announced Paul Ryan would be his running mate in pushing the idea that, because Paul Ryan is in favor of entitlement reform, Republicans metaphorically want to push little old ladies off cliffs.

Erica Payne, President of the Agenda Project, commented: “Mitt Romney chose a radical Medicare-hater as his running mate. Now Americans get to decide if the Medicare-haters run the country.”

(Related: Priorities USA Founder Defends 'Romney Killed My Wife' Ad)

Republicans have been quick to point out, however, that while Paul Ryan proposes cutting entitlements across the board in an effort to keep both our existing promises and the country's fiscal solvency, Barack Obama also cut about $700 billion from Medicare to fund his signature health care legislation.

RNC Chair Reince Priebus made news Sunday after going on the offensive, saying: “If any person in this entire debate has blood on their hands in regard to Medicare, it’s Barack Obama. He’s the one that’s destroying Medicare.”

Watch his full remarks on Meet the Press, via Mediaite:

Responding to David Gregory's assertion that Paul Ryan wants to fundamentally change Medicare and "expose" seniors to the private market, Priebus explained:

David, if we do nothing and if we go down the road that this president wants to go down... Medicare will be changed forever as we know it. It'll be bankrupt by 2024. Medicare is going broke. Every person in America watching this now knows that that's true. This president stole-- he didn't cut Medicare-- he stole $700 billion from Medicare to fund Obamacare. If any person in this entire debate has blood on their hands in regard to Medicare, it's Barack Obama. He's the one that's destroying Medicare.

We are the ones that are offering solutions as to how to, number one, preserve Medicare for seniors that are at or near retirement, and, number two, figure out a way the make sure that for future generations-- we're talking about if you're 54 or younger, how to save Medicare and Social Security.

Priebus concluded by saying that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are willing to take real action in tackling the difficult problems, as opposed to a president who "loves the sound of his own voice" and "not only offers nothing, he makes everything worse."

This post has been updated.