Paul Ryan booed over Medicare at AARP meet

Mitt Romney's vice presidential nominee, Paul Ryan, was booed at the annual AARP convention after saying their Republican administration would repeal the nation's new health care law as the best way to save Medicare.

Just five minutes into his talk at the gathering of the powerful 50-and-older lobby on Friday, the architect of the Republican proposal to change Medicare for the next generation of seniors was repeatedly interrupted as he criticized President Barack Obama's health care law.

"The first step to a stronger Medicare is to repeal Obamacare, because it represents the worst of both worlds," Ryan said as the crowd in New Orleans booed audibly.

"I had a feeling there'd be mixed reaction," Ryan acknowledged, pausing briefly. "So let me get into it." But Ryan only drew further objections from the crowd as he provided a more detailed explanation for his criticism of the new health care law.

Under the Republican approach to Medicare, the next generation of seniors, those now 55 years old and younger, would be given a fixed stipend to buy health insurance.

Seniors have provided a strong constituency for Republicans, with promises of low taxes and conservative views on many social issues, but the Romney-Ryan approach to Medicare has drawn sharp divisions. Polls show most Americans want to keep Medicare as is.

Earlier, in a video address to the convention, President Barack Obama accused Republicans of threatening the future of Social Security and Medicare.

The president pledged to keep both programs solvent for current and future recipients and promised that over the next decade the average Medicare beneficiary will save $5,000 as a result of his health care law.

He said Republican criticism of the measure, passed by Congress, "hasn't been completely on the level" and that the plan Ryan has pushed for as House Budget Committee chairman would replace Medicare with a "voucher that wouldn't keep up with costs."