Memo: Obama will press Romney for details

President Obama plans to press Mitt Romney for policy specifics in tonight's debate, his campaign says, particularly over taxes and budget cuts.

Voters are "looking for the candidates to lay out specific, concrete policies to move this country forward, not back to the same policies that created the (economic) crisis in the first place and punished the middle class," says a memo from Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter.

One key issue for Obama: How Romney might finance his proposed $5 trillion tax cut, whether it's by offsetting tax hikes or budget cuts.

"Even the economists he says support his claims acknowledge he'd have to cut tax breaks essential to the middle class -- like the mortgage-interest deduction -- in order to pay for those tax cuts," writes Cutter. "Romney won't name which deductions he'll eliminate, asking voters to trust that he'll work it out with Congress after the election."

Romney and aides say he supports "pro-growth tax reform" that will help create jobs.

"Under Governor Romney's fundamental tax reform plan, capital gains rates are held steady at 15% for many Americans, and totally eliminated for middle-class joint households earning $200,000 or less," says the campaign website. "This will encourage more Americans to invest, save, and plan for the future, and is a key element of Governor Romney's economic plan that will help create 12 million jobs in his first term."

Cutter also writes that Obama will press Romney for details on his plans for jobs, energy, education, small business development, and the fall-out from the Republican pledge to repeal the president's health care law.

Romney, meanwhile, plans to emphasize an unemployment rate that remains over 8%, and slow economic growth on Obama's watch.

The two candidates debate tonight in Denver.

The Obama's campaign also released a pre-debate video featuring Cutter.