Obama, Romney Take a Break, Attend Church
President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney both took a break from the fierce campaign trail on Sunday, and attended church with their families.
Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their two daughters, Sasha and Malia, attended service at St. John's Episcopal Church, across the street from the White House. And Romney went to a Mormon church in Wolfeboro, N.H., with his wife, Ann, and six of their grandchildren and their parents, Tagg and Jennifer Romney.
At St. John's where the president also attended service on Easter Sunday, the Rev. Michael Angell spoke about "a summer of violence," referring to recent shootings, including the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., that killed 12 people last month and the shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., that killed six people this month, CNN reported.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The Obamas took Communion from the pastor following the sermon.
At the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church, the Romney family participated in singing.
Two members of the Mormon Marriott family spoke to the congregation. After the talk, the choir director requested volunteers to join the women's choir. Romney encouraged his wife to join, after which Ann and Tagg's wife, Jen, joined the choir and sang the popular Mormon hymn, "Because I Have Been Given Much."
While Obama and Romney took time off the campaign trial on Sunday, their advisers appeared on talk shows discussing mainly Medicare and taxes.
Romney says Obama has "robbed" Medicare of $716 billion to pay for Obamacare. Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that the $716 billion can safely remain in the program because the GOP candidate will "introduce choice and competition through more private plans."
However, Obama aide Stephanie Cutter told CNN that Romney's plan to keep the $716 billion in Medicare over the next decade would do nothing to shore up the program. "They're going to use taxpayer dollars to give subsidies to insurance companies," she said.
The debate over Medicare is likely to continue as Obama and Romney return to the campaign trail this week.
The president is scheduled to campaign in Ohio on Tuesday, followed by Nevada and New York on Wednesday. Romney and running mate Paul Ryan will address voters in Manchester, N.H., on Monday, after which the Republican presidential candidate will leave for New Orleans for a fundraiser.
