Senate candidates discuss Medicare, controversial donation

BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) With less than three weeks until the election, neither Senator Scott Brown nor challenger Elizabeth Warren are showing any signs of slowing down. Both candidates made campaign stops on Wednesday while picking up endorsements.

Warren appeared alongside Democratic Congresswoman Niki Tsongas and Republican former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair, who endorsed Warren.

"This is based on personal friendship and respect and someone I've known for many years now," said Bair.

Warren told reporters Bair's endorsement shows that she has "worked across the aisle and will continue to work across the aisle."

Former Governor Paul Cellucci endorsed Senator Scott Brown in a video on Wednesday.

Cellucci, who is suffering from ALS, speaks about Brown's ability to work across the aisle. Brown said the video was "heartfelt" and "moving."

During a visit to a nursing home in Taunton, Brown took a swipe at Elizabeth Warren over Medicare and accused her of supporting what he calls "Draconian cuts" as part of the national health care bill.

"There's one person in this race fighting to protect Medicare and it's me," said Brown.

Warren responded to Brown's comments while visiting a restaurant in Lowell.

"I am shocked Senator Brown is repeating the widely discredited allegation that health care reforms will take $700 billion out of Medicare. It's simply not true," said Warren.

Brown also answered questions about why he accepted, but later returned campaign donations from Travelers' Insurance. This is the same company he criticized Warren of working for an asbestos case.

Brown says he returned those donations because Travelers' Insurance is "at the forefront of advertising and questions and the fact that obviously we're talking about it, it was appropriate, it made sense, felt comfortable, it felt right."

Warren also responded to questions about the same issue.

"Now it comes out that Senator Brown is taking political contributions from the same people he claims I was trying to help," says Warren. "I think this shows from the beginning, it was nothing more than a cheap political trick."

Cox Media Group