Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel (D-NY) has sent a memo to candidates, advising them to keep up the Medicare drumbeat now that Rep. Paul Ryan is running as vice president -- and they're using some Republicans as proof of “bi-partisan opposition to the Ryan Budget.”

According to the memo obtained by POLITICO, Israel urged candidates to cite comments made by former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) Sens. Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.), and an ad run by the Montana GOP on behalf of Rep. Denny Rehberg’s bid for senate.

“You have a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the bi-partisan opposition to the Ryan budget, using Republicans as validators,” Israel wrote. “Republicans have made your argument about the damage the Ryan budget would do to seniors and the middle class. Not a single Democrat voted for it, but Republicans voted against it.”

Since the moment Ryan was announced as Mitt Romney’s running mate, Democrats down the ballot have been hammering Republican opponents on the budget Ryan introduced in the House.

Republicans have countered they are the only ones to introduce a plan to “save Medicare,” and President Obama’s health care law includes significant cuts to the Medicare program and will lead to the rationing of health care for seniors.

Israel advised candidates to keep on the offense and keep the focus on the Ryan plan.

“[T]he Ryan budget includes the same savings from insurance company subsidies and reductions in waste and fraud in Medicare that Republicans are now using to attack Democrats, but your focus must be on how it is Republicans, alone, who chose to destroy Medicare benefits,” Israel wrote. “The Republicans’ strategy is to lie about Medicare and the impact of the Ryan budget. If you’re debating about their lies, you won’t be able to make sure voters know the truth.”

Israel said he expected to hear from campaigns on their “specific plans from now until the end of the month to make [the] contrast clear” between Democrats and their Republican opponents.

“Your job for the next 80 days is simple: Take the national debate about Medicare that Paul Ryan on the Republican ticket has given us, and win this battle in your district,” he wrote.