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Planned Parenthood backs President Obama

Posted at 6:15 PM, May 30, 2012
and last updated 2012-05-30 18:15:30-04

(CNN) -- Planned Parenthood Action Fund unveiled an advertising campaign Wednesday in swing states painting Mitt Romney as the wrong choice for women, a critical voting bloc in the battle for the White House.

Backed by $1.4 million, the spot will run on broadcast and cable television in West Palm Beach, Florida, Des Moines, Iowa, northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., according to the political arm of the women's health care organization.

The commercial uses the presumptive GOP nominee's own words and those of campaign officials to accuse him of wanting to deny women birth control, abortions and equal pay.

"When Mitt Romney says 'Planned Parenthood, we're going to get rid of that,' Romney is saying he'll deny women the birth control and cancer screenings they depend on," the ad says. "When Romney says 'Do I believe Supreme Court should overturn Roe V. Wade? Yes,' he's saying he'll deny women the right to make their own medical decisions."

The first claim came from an interview he conducted in March, in which he cited cutting federal funding to Planned Parenthood as one of the steps he would consider to reduce government spending if elected president. His campaign has said he would support ending federal funding of institution, not the organization itself.

Planned Parenthood, which also endorsed President Barack Obama on Wednesday, said the new ad will be the first in a series of spots throughout the general election.

"Planned Parenthood Action Fund is committed to ensuring that voters know how wrong Mitt Romney is for women - in his own words," Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards said in a statement.

The latest move follows its campaign earlier in the year to reverse a decision to cut funding from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation that sparked a national conversation about contraception, among other women's health issues.

Recent polling shows Obama with an edge over Romney among women. Democrats have tried to use Romney's more conservative stances from the primary season to drive a wedge between the former Massachusetts governor and female voters. Team Romney has responded by focusing on economic issues faced by women in the U.S., including job losses they say have disproportionately affected women.