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COCONUT CREEK, FL -- Vice President Joe Biden slammed Mitt Romney on Friday for trying to "dismantle" entitlement programs upon which seniors depend for financial security and "dignity."
And the criticism didn't come without an Etch-a-Sketch joke.
"Gov. Romney supports cut cap and balance, which is yet another demonstration that there's no daylight between Gov. Romney and Republican leaders on the most important issues facing this country," Biden said of the former Massachusetts governor's backing of GOP plans that Biden said would harm the elderly and middle class. "And not even Romney's etch-a-sketch can change that. You're not going to be able to do that. I mean he may buy a new one but he can't do it."
Continuing a week-old role as an aggressive campaigner for his ticket's re-election, Biden spoke at an "adult condominuium community" in Coconut Creek, where 18 percent of the population is over 65. There, Biden accused Romney and other Republicans of aiming to "dismantle" Medicare.
"Make no mistake about it: If Republicans in Congress and their amen corner of Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich -- if anybody can get their hands on the keys to the White House, you will see Medicare ended as you know it," he told several hundred attendees.
Biden specifically accused Romney of supporting a "cut, cap, and balance" strategy that amounts to "cutting Social Security," "putting a cap on what we ask the wealthiest Americans to pay in taxes," and "balancing the budget on the backs of seniors and middle class Americans."
(Romney was among the many Republicans to sign onto the so-called "Cut, Cap and Balance pledge favored by conservatives during last summer's debt limit fight.)
The vice president, who frequently mentioned caring for his own parents, cast the preservation of Medicare and Social Security as about maintaining seniors' sense of self-worth as well as intergenerational bonds that tie them to their children and grandchildren.
"Folks, it's about dignity," he said. "It's not just about health."
Although today marks the second anniversary of the Affordable Health Care legislation signed into law by the president, Biden only obliquely mentioned some provisions of the controversial bill. (Before he spoke, however, the legislation was praised heavily by Florida Rep. and DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.)
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It is so sad that so many want to eliminate something as vital to so many such as the program of Medicare.
Yea .... what is wrong with Obama and liberals?
Why do they cut 1/2 tillion out of Medicare?
Why do they cut healthcare for the poor in Texas because Texas has a law preventing gov't support for planned parenthood .... why cut off 90% of the providers to support the world's largest abortion organization, an organization that doesn't even have one damn mammogram machine in the whole state.
Why do they create the war on Komen, a private non-profit organization that has devoted its existence on saving women breast cancer .... a company that has done so much to save lives?
It has nothing to do with healthcare .... it is all about politics, power and control.
It is despicable.
Because Komen declared war on poor women, that's why, and in a way that had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with -- and in fact was ANTITHETICAL TO -- Komen's declared mission.
You're darned right it's about power and control. But somehow you've got the rest of it totally backwards. I wonder why.
Komen should lose its 501(c)3 status because it made itself a political organization.
We all can find other ways of supporting breast cancer research and treatment. And as a 12-year survivor, bob, I think I have a little more standing to speak to this issue than you do.
Stay out of things you don't know anything about. As usual, you're WAY over your head and out of your league.
Bob is a little confused
Because their mission is breast cancer and they think their limited resources could be better utilized by health care providers that actually can do a mammogram?
Anna, you can't be as profoundedly stupid as the Dumb FUX crowd ... must be profoundly as bigoted though, huh?
Yet the libs have proven that planned parenthood didn't need the support of Komen by surpassing Komens support in one afternoon.
So libs create a war on a non-profit for not supporting an organization they could easily support but weren't?
How pathetic.
You can think what whatever you want .... (heck - Feisty probably thinks she is not one of the dumb fux) .... but regardless you don't.
Yet you can not challenge or refute one point I made.
Maybe you should just stfu and go back to the minors at Yahooo ... you still can't even foul one off.
Why would anyone put any credence into anything coming out of the maw of Joe Biden ??? He's a niwit who continually proves that his foot is small enough to fit inside his mouth.
Funny how often we were told in 2008 how stupid Sarah Palin was, yet it failed to get pointed out about the dim bulb in Biden's lamp.
Way to go Uncle Joe. Give this radical right hell.
Actually, I was supporting both, but no more.
I think anyone can see that this statement is categorically not true, and obviously it's why you are so angry.
Res ipsa loquitur.
Something is definitely foul here, and balls may in fact be involved.
Some things never change.
Hey Anna Molly, how ya been?
You think Media Matters should lose it's 501 C 3 status as well?
How could they see that, you refuted nothing.
Why would I be angry, you had a little mindless histrionic outburst typical of libs while .... refuting nothing .... and think you saved face with that?
Actually, I am a litttle disappointed. You used to pick your spots and did a better than average job of arguing the liberal view point.
I guess the stultifying effect of the Feistys has finally reduced you.
Such a shame.
uaw-779887
"Bob is a little confused"
Little? Ha
Actually, I'm multi-tasking this afternoon, and my spots are actually picking me.
You looked like above-average sport, so I went for it.
I was short to begin with. What's YOUR excuse?
LoLoL Thanks for the best laugh of the afternoon. After all this time, don't you know that mindless histrionics are my specialty?
For you, they're just another day at the office.
If you HAD an office down in that there basement.
Mitch McConnell's objective is to make President Obama a one term president... That's his one and only objective since the president was sworn in...
The rest of the right wing nut-jobs in congress, are there to end Medicare and Social Security completely... Bottom line, too many in congress are there for the money and only the money... Why too much money and power... A democracy gone to hell....
Romney is clueless, that's what he should be accused of. Romney has no clue about most of the "severe" Right crap he claims to support, whether "personhood" legislation (and how birth control works) or whether the Paul Ryan plan.
The only part Romney understands and supports is rule by the rich (plutocracy). That Paul Ryan's plan does not reduce deficits, in large part because it contains only spending cuts and no revenue (or vague references to ending loophole tax evasion, yeah riiiight) plus increased defense spending -- I guarantee you Romney has no clue. In regard to ending programs like Medicare so the rich and corporations can be given even more tax breaks, if Romney does understand this, what does it say?
Well since Romney's own plan is worse than Paul Ryan's plan, that's all voters need to know--this says it all.
Good going Mitt. That will get you the senior vote.
A vote for Romney is a vote to end Medicare! But wait, what will he have to say about it tomorrow?
shake the etch a sketch and see!
beachbum12,
Me thinks the cocaine is affecting you my friend. I'm married to a disabled vet. I respect them for their sacrifice but am not so naive as to excuse them if they act like mad men.
Romney= Republican Republican= care only for greedy rich and not poor, elderly or middle class
Bottom line: Romney doesn't care period.
If people are stupid enough to vote for this man and people like him who advocate things against their own interests and good sense they get what they deserve. The problem is it will affect the rest of us too.
If Republicans were successful in reforming malpractice litigation (so that doctors and hospitals didn't have to carry huge malpractice insurance policies) do you think they'd pass the savings back to the consumer? Or would that be a windfall profit they'd bank for themselves? And who get's to decide a surgical 'boo-boo' is only worth $25K instead of $250K a jury might award?
There must have been many wheelchair-bound folks in the crowd.
Did Clueless Joe ask them all to stand up?
the thing I :love" about the cuddly ring wing is the continual use of denigrating comments- always putting people down- is it part of your DNA Bob?
Youve been remiss, Bob. You, and I, and all Romney supporters own Biden a HUGE thank you.
Romney could have stood on his head to convince people he supported Cap and Balance- many on the right and NO ONE on the left would have believed him.
Now that Biden has confidently proclaimed it- Romney's work to convince people of that truth is done.
"Romney's work to convince people of that truth is done." ... you forgot to add until tomorrow NoJo.
I need a...
Ever take a clean peak at the 'denigrating comments' that fly in from the holier-than-thou left side of this site...or is this your first visit here ???
What a stupid asinine remark, Bob. So people in wheelchairs can't think? Have you looked around recently? There are many young and middle aged people in "chairs."
Typical Republican blinders on?
You owe those who cannot walk, for whatever reason, an apology. Whatever their politics. Please don't make a joke about someone being confined to a chair and couple it with politics unless you know that person and are sure they would appreciate the humor.
Candy,
Get a clue, wow, Bob didn't say anything in the sort. Biden made that dumb remark to a person in a wheel chair. You people spout out crap you don't know anything about, like most on here.
Vice President Joe Biden slammed Mitt Romney on Friday for trying to "dismantle" entitlement programs upon which seniors depend for financial security and "dignity".
The same old tired playbook of the Dems: scaring old people. Who the hell would believe anything they say?
same old tired play book of the RepubliCON party- dismantle social security and medicare and call it something else.
Eh Bob- in the 1960's who do you think the largest demographic group living in poverty was- the elderly- a driving force behind medicare. So now you want to issue a "premium support" tied to what- cola?- hasnt kept up with the rate of insurance premium increases since its inception so how is a shortfall not to occur? eh BOB
You are right Bob, and you know, those Republicans are far more egalitarian. They like to scare the crap out of everyone.
This radical right is a dangerous group of people that can't be trusted.
ideol...
As opposed to comforting Democrat tomes like Mr. Obama's speeches last year where he repeatedly stated that Republicans want "dirty air and dirty water...and wanted seniors and children with autism to fend for themselves". The president's exact words. That was right around the same time the comforting Democrats ran a television ad showing a Paul Ryan lookalike shoving an old woman in a wheelchair off a cliff.
No...nice and lovable liberals would neeeeevvvver try to frighten anyone.
tony ...
like Bob said ... just old people ... but that ad you mentioned was right out of the repub. playbook.
Bob the Seniors here in a very unsophisticated Southern state, do talk to each other. They know that their premium for part A and B coverage is going up on Dec 31st 2013 by 147%. They are mad as hell. This is to offset the 1/2 Trillion income transfer under Obamacare to indigents and illegals from the Medicare "Trust Fund". Using the word trust and democrat in same sentence is nasty.
Biden was wrong it's the whole frigging Republican Party that wants to dismantle it.why? Because the rich people that own the Republican Party see S.S. medicare, and medicade a tax that they should not have to pay
Keep your filthy political hands off of my Medicare!!! Yes, it is an "entitlement." I paid into it all my working life, and yes I am entitled to it.
Sick and tired of the Republicans turning "entitlement" into a dirty word.
And it is all about dignity. A society is known how it treats their children and elderly. Children, women, low income, elderly, people of color are all trash to the GOP.
Go sic, em Joe!
How about you don't pay into it and receive it, what is it called then?
if you do not like obama care, vote in a rep and you will have loved obama care. the paul ryan budget looks real scary to me. bought and paid for by senior citizens, working class and the poor to balance the budget by 2040. no safety net in that budget!
Yep Biden twisted Romney's words-"WHAT A SURPRISE!" Damn lying dimocrat. As a Senior, my obamacare premium is increasing 147% over the next 20 months. This is the result of REMOVING $500,000,000,000.00 from the medicare "lockbox" by Obama's medical management team. Yep this is money Seniors paid in to defray medical costs on average for 45 years in the workforce. Now it is being spent on "others". Are we mad? HELL YES, and we do vote. Present A and B premium $99 per month-Jan 2014 premium $247 per month. Of course we must carry a medicare supplement and a drug policy also in addition to A and B. Maybe our extra premium is going to pay for Ms. Flucke's recreational sex protection??