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Before unveiling his fiscal plan that would phase out Medicare (and make big cuts to much of the rest of the budget), Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) said this on Sunday of Democrats:
“They are going to demagogue us, and it's that demagoguery that has always prevented political leaders in the past from actually trying to fix the problem. We can't keep kicking this can down the road. The president has punted. We're not going to follow suit. And, yes, we will be giving our political adversaries things to use against us in the next election, and shame on them if they do that.”
But in American politics, there’s usually enough shame to go around.
Before the 2010 elections, it was Republicans doing the demagogue-ing -- so to speak. The GOP -- as well as outside conservative groups (like Crossroads GPS and 60 Plus, the conservative alternative to AARP) -- criticized the proposed cuts to Medicare in the health-care overhaul.
The Democratic National Committee attempted to play defense, but Republicans blitzed the airwaves grabbing onto the Medicare issue. (At First Read, we wrote about the GOP’s 180 -- and now apparent 360 -- on Medicare here, here, and here.)
Here’s a sampling of scripts and links from other ads Republicans and Republican-leaning groups ran:
60 Plus vs. former Rep. Allen Boyd (D-FL): Older man: “Allen Boyd has betrayed Florida seniors.” Woman: “Instead of voting to protect us, he supported Nancy Pelosi’s liberal agenda.” Another woman: “Boyd voted for Nancy Pelosi’s health care bill, which would cut $500 billion from Medicare.” Another man: “That will hurt the quality of our care.” Woman: “We thought Boyd was looking out for us. But Allen Boyd switched his vote on health care.” Man: “Florida seniors can send Allen Boyd a message – he betrayed us. This November, we’ll remember.” (Hat tip: Politifact.)
Crossroads GPS vs. Joe Sestak (D-PA): “What’s Congressman Joe Sestak done? He voted to gut Medicare, slashing benefits for Pennsylvania seniors. The Obama-Sestak scheme could jeopardize access to care for millions. … Gutting Medicare, hurting seniors, killing jobs, Pennsylvania can’t afford Joe Sestak.”
That looks very similar to this NRSC vs. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO): Bennet: “I’ve been in Washington only a year.” Announcer: “And what’s Bennet done? He voted to gut Medicare, jeopardizing benefits for over 200,000 Colorado seniors. … Gutting Medicare, hurting seniors, killing jobs.”
Crossroads GPS vs. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA): “California seniors are worried. Barbara Boxer voted to cut spending on Medicare benefits by $500 billion. Cuts so costly to hospitals and nursing homes that they could stop taking Medicare altogether. Boxer’s cut would sharply reduce benefits for some and could jeopardize access to care for millions of others. … Check the facts and take action. Call Boxer. Stop the Medicare cuts.”
And here was former RNC Chairman Michael Steele touting his proposed “Seniors Bill of Rights”: “No cuts to Medicare to pay for another program. Zero.”
There was even an RNC Spanish-language radio ad (translated, per RealClearPolitics): “Where is the money going to come from? Will you really cut funding for Medicare to pay for it? How can that be good? That’s really going to hurt our seniors. Big federal spending programs, no improvement in jobs, and Medicare cuts. That’s just not good enough. We can’t afford for things to keep on this way. Mr. President - is this the best you can do.”
From the ambiguously named, “League of American Voters”: Young woman: “Cutting Medicare $400 billion?” Faux government official: “Streamlining. The elderly are such a drain on the system.”
Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) v. Jim Meffert (DFL-MN): “Meffert’s for the trillion-dollar health-care takeover and a massive $500 billion cut in Medicare”
Here was the NRCC against former Rep. Mark Schauer (D-MI): “Maybe Schauer’s trying to hide his own vote to cut $500 billion from Medicare. Listen to Schauer caught on tape.” Schauer’s voice: “Yes, there are Medicare cuts.” Announcer: “Did Schauer really vote to cut Medicare?” Schauer again: “There are Medicare cuts.” Announcer: “Let’s save Medicare, and cut Schauer.”
Now freshman Rep. Dan Benishek (R-MI) vowed: “Social Security and Medicare are a promise we’ve made to our seniors. And I will keep that promise.” Announcer: “Dr. Dan Benishek’s plan would guarantee Social Security and Medicare for the future.”
Lamar Alexander (in Senate Republicans’ video at about 0:46): “We can say no to higher taxes, higher premiums, and cuts to Medicare.”
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Oh, come on. We all know that anything dems do is bad and everything repubes do is good. Even if it is what the dems were going to do before the repubes scared them out of it.
Let this be a lesson (finally!!) to Dems. Stop worrying about the how the republicans paint you. Do the right (as in correct) thing and you will be fine. When you let the pubes put you on the defensive and you lose automatically.
It's not possible to balance the budget without cutting defense spending. If you leave defense spending untouched, you'd have to cut everything else by 50-60% (including ICE, FBI, DEA, CIA, FAA, FDA, ATF, the Secret Service, the NTSB, the TSA).
So fewer border patrols, fewer federal agents (and less resources for help for state crime labs from the feds), fewer aircraft inspections, less intelligence gathering, reduced food safety.
And if you protect those things, then the reductions from elsewhere have to be even higher.
Defense spending is a republican entitlement program!
tell obama enough with the war mongering
If defense spending reductions are NOT on the table, then the discussion isn't serious. It's just more kabuki for the Tea Party.
No one's sacred cow (on either side) is exempt if you want to deal with the deficit issue.
The problem as I see it and so do many others to include economist on both the left and the right is that you can not balance the budget with cuts alone, I hear people say we don't have a revenue problem we have a spending problem, well the bulk of that spending includes the wars we are paying for. Discretionary spending is so small compared to the rest of the budget that simply cutting from there serves only political purposes and nothing more. The fact that the republicans voted down a bill that would cut subsidies for oil companies received very little attention, if we must all feel the pain why are oil and farm subsidies not even on the table, because like Scott Walker's Police and Fireman who supported him, the Republican are only after cuts that affect only democrats and their interest. If you really can't see that then you are not really looking.
Retired Military,
Well said. Sometimes I get so frustrated reading these posts. It is as people have put their heads in the sand with their hands over their ears to ensure they do not hear anything or see anything that might change their way of thinking. Some people do not want to know or acknowledge the truth. The problem with not accepting the truth now is that by the time they realize they were wrong, it is to late to do anything about it.
If revenues remain static and deficits are running $1.5-trillion, the only way to balance the budget is to reduce spending by $1.5-trillion dollars ~ which can't be done. Looks like we either cut spending and raise taxes or we rely on some other form to achieve success. As examples, moving Social Security into the general fund to create the illusion of fiscal well-being. Or a slick method of including all military in the employment sample to reduce unemployment figures. Both have been done and remain part of the equation even today. This used to be called "creative accounting" but I'm not sure what to call it today. Probably just crooked bookkeeping.
Does anyone remember when and why the Bush tax cuts were passed? They were passed over the objection of Alan Greenspan who saw these cuts as too large without also cutting spending at the time.
These tax cuts were put into place as stimulus to aid the economy following the recession of 2001. The recession has long since ended, but it's stimulus remain's. These tax cuts were never meant to be permanent. That is why an expiration date we attached to them. Maybe it's time to allow some of these tax cuts to expire as intended.
Tax cuts is not the way to go. Anyone should see that taxes are what makes a government run good. In the 1950s, 1960s and part of the 1970s, rich people paid a whole lot more in taxes. Look what was accomplished: The Great massive inter-state highway system all over the U.S. Many, many more military bases in the U.S. then than now. Booming economies around all those military bases and people making enough money to buy things. Now, about one half of the people living in the U.S. do not make enough take-home Net money to buy anything other than what they have to have. Keep the Federal Government large in the U.S. and close some of the many bases we have over seas. Open up more here in the U.S. Check out Huntsville Alabama. The base is being expanded and it will create at least 9,000 other jobs around the area. The people around there will have more money to spend, helping their economy and paying more taxes.
"Anytime able-bodied, able-minded individuals are given free stuff that the government takes from hard working, productive, taxpaying Americans, and the government asks for nothing back from those recipients, it's a disaster waiting to happen. Looks like that disaster is happening now."
THAT is RIGHT.
"Hope and Change" needs to become "COURAGE and CHANGE".........GO PAUL RYAN !!
Leona,
Who is getting FREE STUFF? When I look at my paycheck I see Social Security and Medicare deductions. Therefore, when I receive Social Security and Medicare in my senior years, I am not getting FREE STUFF.
Here in Minnesota we are going to go after Eric Paulsen on this new Ryan plan. Pauslen said he was againt medicare cuts. And now his own party supports phasing out Medicare. And by a lot more than $500 million too. Paulsen was one of the beneficiaries of the ads cited above.
You can't have it both ways. That's like cutting down the forest in the hope of preseving trees. A fools errand.
There are a lot of seats up for the 2012 election and I'm hoping most of the House GOP representatives vote to cut Medicare (even though the Senate will block it), so these quotes and others can be used in ads against them and new Tea Party candidates.
It'd be nice to have a majority back in the House again, along with the re-election of Obama in 2012.
its funny how many people on the right think 2012 is a lock for them. what has the GOP done to give them that idea, other than criticize obama left right and centre? absolutely nothing except flip-flop on issues or squabble and waste time on other issues. what a complete joke that party is
So, Mike how many years have you been working?? Are you really that anxious to give all that money you have paid into FICA to the government?? Do you really think we will get checks in the mail if the republicans privatize Medicare?? Do you really think the voucher the elderly will get will be enough to pay for health care premiums?? Really???? When the average working person pays $12,000 a year for insurance do you really think that the government will give us $1000 vouchers???
You are really naive if you can't see what is going on!! They are going to privatize Medicare and then raid the fund to GIVE to corporations!! Nothing will be saved!!
Riddle me this Conservatives and Liberals: Those huge tax cuts for the rich, remember, which have been extended because both parties have been bought off by the wealthy — By 2007 the wealthiest 10 per cent of Americans were taking in 50 per cent of the national income. Not to mention that they control 85% of the assets. Today, a fraction of people at the top today earn more than the bottom 120 million Americans.
Over the past 30 years, with the complicity of Republicans and Democrats alike, the plutocrats have used their vastly increased wealth to assure that government does their bidding.
Want evidence of that? You have only to look at the repeal of Glass Steagall, and the failure of the last congress to change the bankruptcy code to allow judges to modify mortgages.
Everyone knows millions of Americans are in trouble.
Their grown children have moved back in with them. Their state and local taxes are rising. Teachers and firefighters are being laid off. The roads and bridges they count on are crumbling, pipelines are leaking, schools are dilapidated, and public libraries are being shut.
Why isn't government working for them? Because it has been bought off. It is as simple as that. And until we get clean money we are not going to get clean elections, and until we get clean elections, you can kiss goodbye government of, by, and for the people. Welcome to the plutocracy.
And all we get from our leaders is hyperbole.
OK folks, there it is, people who do not need to worry about where their health care is coming from or whether they can afford it or not .... working openly to take away your safety net. That is not personal responsibility, it is piracy and it's time those of us that will get screwed to stand up and scream our disapproval .... NO!
Common, it's easy to say, NO... NO... NO ... No .. now go out and knock on your neighbor's door.
If republicans REALLY wanted to lower the deficit they would NOT have vote to EXTEND TAX CUTS TO THE RICH!! This IS more evidence that they really want to break the working class!! Who do you think is going to have to pick up the bill for grandma's expensive medical care??? The working class stiff who barely makes enough to pay his/her own bills will NOW be saddled with grandma's health bills!! Do you really think the health care companies are going to open their arms to the elderly??? The elderly need health care and health insurance companies don't like to insure people who need health care! Look for the cost of insuring the elderly to skyrocket!! If us healthy people pay $14,000 a year, what do you think they will charge the elderly??? A LOT more than any government voucher is going to cover!!!
If they were really concerned about the budget they would CLOSE tax loopholes which allows corporations like EXXON to pay $0 in federal taxes!! They really WANT to put the squeeze on the working class!! They want to make us desperate and powerless that way we will take anything corporations will handout as far as wages and benefits!! Keep giving the republicans power and watch our wages and benefits spiral downward!! This is not an attack on the unions but an ASSAULT on the working class!
there's 80 freshman republicans in the house for a reason - america understands that congress and pres ident are overspending. They also understand that we are not under taxed. Why do you think the great one extended bush's tax cuts? Why do you think he keeps doing everything bush did? BECAUSE BUSH WAS RIGHT!
I think Obama extended the tax cuts to the rich because the Republicans said they would NOT APPROVE a tax cut extension on the WORKING CLASS unless the President bowed to their will and he did!! So that the working class got the extension!!! Are you really that daft that you have forgotten what just happened a few months ago??? Bush was right, alright, just about helping the upper class not the working class!!
I don't see one of the "freshmen" suggest cutting pork to coporations!!! They only seem to want to break the middle class!! Where in Paul's bill does it say it is going to close the tax loopholes so EXXON has to pay federal taxes??? It doesn't!! Because the rich don't think they should pay taxes, they feel us little people should do it!!
taxes are about revenue. the republicans (ryan) budget plan is about expenses. once the expenses are in line then revenue (tax loopholes) can be addressed. As for EXXON gas was $1.79 a gallon when obama took office. When are you going to start bit$%ing about gas prices and obama impudent response to rising fuel costs. oh that's right he and the other nobel prize winner want gas to be at european levels $8.00 to $10.00 a gallon.
Rob - It's not possible to get expenses in line. Not without everything on the table now, including defense spending as well as entitlement programs. You cannot say "everything but X is off-limits in this discussion" and expect anyone to take you seriously.
When Obama starts bidding on oil futures, i.e., speculating, then I'll lay the price of gasoline at his feet, Rob. The president (any who serve in that office) is powerless to dictate the terms of commodity trading unless that activity threatened national security ~ and that would be a damned hard sell. Congress has authority through legislation but I don't see any of them, Republican or Democrat, confronting the issue. Democrats are too busy whimpering about those mean old Republicans who are themselves trying anything available to unseat a president. High energy prices (and food) play into their favor in that effort. Moreover, this budget trimming is a scam of the highest order. Hell, we waste more over at the Pentagon than most industrialized nations actually spend on their national defense. Defense could be reduced by a minimum of 15% and we would never know the difference in security matters.
Rob, no matter how much I cut our bills if I have NO income I can't pay them! We need income in order to do ANYTHING or all the budget cuts in the world does make any difference!! If we close the tax loopholes we may not even NEED to make cuts!! If I go from $10 income to a million, I don't have a budget problem!!
Gas was NOT $1. 79 anywhere in this country when Obama took office!! Don't you remember the summer BEFORE Obama took office that gas was OVER $4.00/gallon, it NEVER went back to $1.79?? Or were you even driving then, Sonny?
Obama did TRY to do something about gas prices but the republicans cut him off at the pass!! My very own Senator tried to submit a bill that would stop oil speculating on the stock market which artificially increases the price, but republicans wouldn't even let the bill see the light of day, because THEY want prices to go up because that means their "supporters" are making money!! Do a little research before you put your foot in your mouth!!
BLUE
11/28/08
$1.669
12/11/08
$1.499
12/31/08
$1.399
1/27/09
$1.799
2/23/09
$1.769
This is what I paid in Tennessee.
Is Tennessee in this country?
I don't understand why seniors are looked upon as welfare recipients. I paid into SS all my life and I don't feel a bit guilty for taking my share now, and I resent the government using MY savings for their personal projects. That money should be untouchable by congress. As for Medicare, I don't know about everyone else, but mine is not FREE. I pay two premiums, one for Medicare Part B and another for a supplement policy, and then I still have to pay out of pocket for some medical expenses. I pay an additional amount for my prescription drug plan. I have no vision or dental coverage. I pay for medical coverage as a senior than I did when I was working.
There is a difference between Medicare and Medicaid, the latter being for those who are indigent. I'm sure both programs could be tweaked to eliminate waste, but to do away with either one without having a suitable program for replacement would be criminal. It won't happen in my lifetime.
kaara, Republicans have morphed into a "Corporatist" party that only cares about the success of corporations!! If the founding fathers wanted the country ran like a corporation or for the benefit of corporations they would have set the constitution up differently!! They wanted a republic for the PEOPLE!! But there isn't much profit in a government that cares for people so they have abandon the citizens and only work in favor of corporations!
The bible says Greed is the ROOT of all evil!! I never really thought that was true, until lately!! When Elected officals set off to break unions, take Medicare away from the elderly, make children work instead of go to school, all in order to destroy the middle class and turn us into a slave-labor force, I do believe GREED is the ROOT of ALL evil!! If we don't turn our country away from this infection of EVIL and turn it to what Jesus taught us, about loving and caring for those around you, our country will fail!!
blueingoregon....You're preaching to the choir. I didn't vote republican in the last election and I've grown to hate what they stand for to the point that I will never vote for them again. I don't like it that they have furthered their own agenda over putting this country back on the right track. Their goal from the beginning was to discredit Obama so that they could take the election in 2012. As more people become aware of this fact, it is going to bite them in the a$$!
Looking up all I can see the hole down which I was flushed, a little ray of light at the top of a long dark drain. But am I going to try to swim upstream, fight the current, undo the reasons for my plight, take ownership for a situation I myself caused? No. No. No. My plan is to accelerate the descent and when I get closer to all the sh*t at the bottom spread it far and wide among those who are jobless, blameless, innocent, struggling, sick, young, poor, hungry, and desperate, sparing those who are rich, incorporated, and living large off the backs of the shrinking middle class.
Until the GOP closes military bases over seas and cuts military spending as well as foreign aide, I will be skeptical of everything they do, because if they really did care about our deficit, cuts would be made in those areas also.
Absolutely! Balance the budget on the backs of the senior citizens. After all, they are mostly too weak to fight back hard. And they will most likely die before they can do anything to maintain their promised health care. But sarcasm aside, this is typical of the American government and even more typical of the American people. It doesn't matter what promises were made. Cut my taxes. If it hurts someone else, that's fine. Just so it doesn't hurt me. ME ME ME
Jim, sadly you are right!! We have become a nation of self centered, apathetic people!! We have turned away from the Christian Values many claim to have in this country, and turned to worshipping Greed and evil!! Would Jesus take health care away from the elderly??? Would Jesus break unions??? Would Jesus support children working instead of going to school??? But yet many in this country feel that is exactly what should happen!! The bible warns of false Prophets that will turn people away from Jesus!! Well, we have a lot of false prophets running around turning people away from caring for one another and telling them to care only for themselves!! And people are doing it!!
Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country!" It seem many have forgotten this!! We are a country of individuals, not a community!! We ask now, "What's in it for ME?" That is the most disgusting question any person who thinks they are a Christian/Ameircan can ask!
I am not saying that there is not room for some cuts in defence spending, as with any enormous program, there is bound to be ample wate and fat available for the trimming. However, calling the military an "entitlement" arm is absurd and false. There is no one in the military that recieves money for no services rendered, or as a support system.
Also, if we are going to cut down on defense spending it may not be a good idea to establish ourselves as a military humanitarian aid force which will be lent out per the UNs request, but (amazingly) still at our expense.
Smarty, they are trying to move us to a "private" army where corporations employ "contractors" to protect the populace!! Think Blackwater walking down main street!! These folks won't be happy until the Constitution is broken and the entire country is sold of to private industry and democracy is dead!! That is their REAL goal to break our Democracy!! If the people have a say then corporations may not be able to control, so they need to break our Demcracy in order to totally control the people!!
Ask yourself how you would go about breaking the Country?? How would you reach millions of people?? Buy a network, then hire people to spread untruths and confuse the population!! Your going to have to have some very believeable people who would be willing to sell out this country, you would have to pay them millions!! Corporations would ban together to front this Network!! YOU would have to spread lies and untruths 24 hours a day, you would have to buy up thousands of radio stations and newspapers to get the message YOU wanted to every single person!!
This is how Hilter became so powerful!!
@blue: you also seem to have described the empire created by Ruport Murdoch. Too bad he put his spreading the word into the likes of Glen Beck, Sean Hannity and Sarah Palin.
Not true. How about your "pensionaires"? You know, the people whose country you invaded and then brought a bunch of them back here with the promise that they'd never have to work a day in their lives here in America. Those "pensionaires" are paid out of the defense budget.
So yes, you have thousands of people who have done nothing more than moved here from a war torn country that live better than most of us for doing absolutely nothing while raking in our American Taxpayer Dollars.
blueingoregon:
You might be on to something.
Three quotes from Hitler
These are the same tools the extreme right wing of the Republican party are using. They spread untruths and stick to it, regardless of the facts. Because they are so adamant and so boisterous about the lie, people decide it must be true, that no one would say such a thing if it was not true.
Our founding fathers gave us a system of government that allows for a free press, freedom to worship as we choose, and the freedom to think for ourselves. What a pity it would be to allow such a great dream to be broken all because we squandered the liberties and rights given us. The first words of the Constitution of the United States are "We the PEOPLE", not we the individuals, we the states, we the corporations. Therefore, we the people should be standing together, and doing what it takes to have a healthy, well educated, innovative and prosperous country. After all a country is only has strong as its weakest citizens.
ill bet any amount of money that if sarah plain and michelle bachmann worked together they would still be unable to tell you what 'demagogue' means
The three stooges (Bush,Cheny and Dumsfeld),,,and their lies are still having an impact..go to Walter Reed medical center and see first hand what the liars have done and that does not count the 5,000 plus dead and the thosands of family members whose lives are forever changed because of the republican leadership that lied to America and now that same republican leadership ( the GOP) are at it again. Enough already,they have kicked the dog one time to many and now the fight is on. I seriously doubt that the GOP will have much if anything to say, so from the state to the WH. I see the GOP as a dying party,,,,one kick to many, one more lie....too much, it's time for the gop and the rich to pay up and they won't like it.
TO: True American-2367375 who wrote:
“Carmarie...that's because you are a needy, scared, non-self-reliant whinner. You don't want to reform Medicare or Social Security because you are TOO afraid to take care of yourself...you want the "government" to take care of you, for you.....get out of my pocket!”
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Well, that is MY money that the “government” wants to keep.
The “government” could shut down Social Security anytime they want to, all they have to do is give us our money BACK with interest at the legal rate.
The trouble is, the “government” wants to keep our money that WE worked for.
How you figure Social Security is some kind of “give away” I’ll never know. You seem to selective FORGET where that Social Security money came from – MY PAYCHECKS over more than 40 years of paying into it.
How about the “government” decide to relieve you of your entire savings account and then go huddle in a corner discussing how they’re going to spend YOUR life savings. They I’ll be glad to call YOU a whiner.
Amen!! Just like we have all paid into Unemployment. My husband worked, and paid unemployment insurance, 27 years before needing unemployment, I have worked, and paid unemployment insurance, for 30 years!! So the government has gotten 57 years of unemployment off me and some jerks gripe that my husband should take a job that pays less than UE so then we will have to fill bankruptcy!! That is like saying after you have paid for home insurance for 20 years and your house burns down, you will live on the street and not take a settlement!! That is just STUPID!! I will not live out of a box on the corner just so Republicans can give tax breaks to 2% of the population (if republicans were worried about the deficit they could have let the tax cuts sunset!)! WE have paid for the insurance all these years I am damn well going to take it if we are desperate!! And WE are!
Medicare was on an unsustainable path in 2001 when the Bush tax cuts were passed into law. I (and a majority of Americans surveyed at the time) wanted to use the surpluses (generated mostly by social security) to pay down our debt. I figured we could use a lower debt level to borrow now, lessening the pain and severity of the cuts and giving us more time and options.
I lost. The tax cuts alone added nearly 3 trillion to our debt. Plus 1 Trillion for Iraq and Afghanistan. Plus the Medicare prescription drug plan (more than twice the future unfunded liabilities of social security).
For years I thought the Republicans were out of their minds. Why generate optional deficits now when we knew we would need to borrow a decade later? But I proceeded from a false assumption: That Republicans actually intended to preserve Medicare/Social Security. They didn't.. In fact, the spending of the last decade was specifically intended to create a debt crisis where we would have no choice but to severely cut back these liberal programs.
It's ironic that projected Social Security surpluses were the catalyst for enabling Republicans to make it all look affordable back then. Nearly all of it was paid by the poor and middle class. The greatest bait and switch in history.
I was amused last year when the Republicans (who have always opposed Medicare) were perceived by so many medicare card carrying teabaggers as having become repentent about killing the program...suckers!
Mencken was right "No one ever went broke underestimating the American people."
It appears that the republicans will tell any untruth to get their own way. The don't know history, they don't know the constitution, and they don't really care about what the people want. They are subsidized by corporations. If they want to make cuts, why not cut their salary, car and driver allowances, medical care (hey if it's good enough for seniors, it's good enough for them)? They won't do this because all they're really interested in is letting the corporations have contol of the country. Oh yeah, why not make these corporations pay their taxes?
What happened to "Don't touch my medicare"? The republicans don't want to do anything substantial. They only want to please the corporations that feed their campaign coffers. If they want to cut spending, they should cut their own pay, get rid of their car and driver allowance, and give up their government paid medical care. They could also cut the pay of their over-priced lobbyist staff. They don't know history, they don't know the constitution, and they don't care what the people want.
Americans everywhere are finally starting to see what the republicans true stratedgy ahs been-just oppose everything Obama and the democrats propose ( I can show you video of them talking about that stratedgy even before the inauguration). Hypocrits,power hungry and protectors of the wealthy and corporations, wall street, big oil and insurance companies.
And yes, now they prove that they are not in favor of death panels. Don't need death panels when the plan is to just let all the poor die.
Once the plan to wipe out the middle class is complete, then they can die too.
Hey this is politics. I would shame the Democrats if the DID NOT use this against the Republicans. The Medicare cuts political proposition will fade away the closer we get to 2012. Unless they recommend taking medicare away from those millionares who have enough money that they do not need it...like that's going to happen!
Doc
I want a plan in which the Rich pay more than the middle class. The Rich have a lower effective tax rate than the middle class. Corporations have one the lowest effective tax rates in the industrialized world. Show me where the Rich have to give anything then I will start listening.
The seniors honestly aren't that stupid are they?
The seniors really are that stupid. They continually vote against their best interest by following the Republicans off a cliff and then blame the Democrats when they crash at the bottom of the ravine. Bill O'Reilly and Glen Beck admitted on O'Reilly's show on Friday that as "provocateurs they aren't into telling the truth. They lie about the Dems, call Obama a Socialist and old people buy into the scam.
I love America .