Campaign talk gets personal

>>> this is ron mott in new orleans, where paul ryan 's speech to medicare recipients was met with resistance.

>> the first step to medicare is to repeal obama care because it represents the worst of both worlds. i had a feeling there would be mixed reactions.

>> reporter: many convention-goers walked out of the room when paul ryan took the stage to talk about medicare , which would transfer it to a voucher system under his budget plan. for paul ryan , it was a return to the spotlight since he has been quietly busy on the trail, working for votes. and yesterday in washington, behind closed doors , shoring up support among house republicans, in the middle of campaign fighting and missteps by governor romney 's 47% hidden camera video, prompting information from columnist peggy nunan, who called it a rolling campaign.

>> what do you say to your fellow republicans who are --

>> stop it, this is hard, you want to try it. get in the ring. this is hard.

>> reporter: some republican senate hopefuls are distancing themselves, like wisconsin's tommy thompson who warned a troubled presidential campaign could hurt other candidates, thompson's remark drew this response from former new hampshire governor and romney supporter.

>> my good friend, tommy thompson , sounds like barack obama , blaming it on somebody else.

>> reporter: speaking to a crowd of aarp members.

>> i want to emphasize, they're not handouts.

>> reporter: later, swiping about the comments.

>> i don't see a lot of victims in this crowd today. i see hard- working people in virginia.

>> reporter: he also resumed a back and forth with romney over the president's assertion that change in washington must not come simply from the inside, but the outside, too.

>> he stood up at a rally, proudly declares i would get the job done from the inside, what kind of inside job is he talking about?

>> reporter: a lot of republicans are looking at october 3 as a big date on the calendar, as the first of three presidential debates , and perhaps mitt romney 's next big chance.

>> and all right head right