Rep. Cravaack Takes Questions At Town Hall Meeting

CAMBRIDGE, Minn. (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack will field questions from the public -- likely concerning Medicare and the budget deficit -- at a town hall meeting in Cambridge Wednesday night.

The freshman Republican has been criticized for voting for a Republican budget plan that would overhaul Medicare, turning it into a voucher-like system in which private plans rather than the government would pay medical bills. A series of political ads say Cravaack voted to end Medicare, but others defending him say he voted to protect the program.

Cravaack won his seat by defeating 18-term incumbent Democrat Jim Oberstar last November. Former Democratic state Sen. Tarryl Clark said earlier this month she plans to run against Cravaack in 2012 for his seat in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District.

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