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MIAMI – Stumping here on Monday, Mitt Romney told reporters he couldn’t think of how he differs from running mate Paul Ryan when it comes to their views on Medicare.
“We haven’t gone through piece by piece and said, ‘Oh, here’s a place where there’s a difference,’” Romney said of his running mate’s plan. “But my plan for Medicare is very similar to his plan, which is ‘Do not change the program for current retirees or near-retirees but do not do what the president has done and that is to cut $700 billion out of the current program.”
Sustaining Medicare, the government’s health care program for seniors, will likely become a central issue in this election campaign – particularly because Ryan, the House budget committee chairman, crafted a controversial plan that analysts say would increase costs for low-income and unhealthy seniors down the road.
In the days since Paul Ryan joined the Republican ticket, the spotlight has been on Ryan's proposal for government to give seniors money to buy their own insurance – part of a sweeping Medicare reform plan. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.
Romney was less committal Monday than he was in January, when he said during a debate that Ryan’s Medicare reform plan was “absolutely right on.” Instead, he said that he and Ryan agreed on the main points – and that he planned to restore the $700 billion cut from Medicare under Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
Ryan's Medicare plan and his budget: What's in them for you?
There’s a hitch, however: Ryan’s budget makes the same $700 billion in Medicare cuts as the Obama plan. CNBC's Scott Cohn explains:
“The Affordable Care Act – Obamacare – does cut the growth of Medicare by $700 billion over 10 years. But benefits to seniors actually increase under Obamacare, which reduces payments to providers in exchange for more people covered by insurance. What’s more, the Ryan plan – approved by the House – cuts Medicare spending every bit as much as Obamacare does. In fact, it incorporates the very same budget projections, even as it repeals Obamacare. That’s what you call having it both ways.”
Faced with questions about Ryan's support for these cuts, the Romney campaign clarified its position Monday evening and disagreed with those cuts.
"Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have always been fully committed to repealing Obamacare, ending President Obama’s $716 billion raid on Medicare, and tackling the serious fiscal challenges our country faces," Lanhee Chen, Romney’s policy director, said in a statement. "A Romney-Ryan Administration will restore the funding to Medicare, ensure that no changes are made to the program for those 55 or older, and implement the reforms that they have proposed to strengthen it for future generations."
At his last event of the day here in Miami, Romney did not mention Medicare or Obama’s health care reform, focusing instead on economic issues. But when Paul Ryan comes to Florida, where retirees make up a sizable part of the population, it would be safe to assume that Medicare reform will once again take center stage.
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Quite the dilemma, isn't it Mittens? On the one hand, you did what you were told and put Ryan on the ticket to solidify your base and make the "teabaggers" think you are one of them.
On the other hand, it is finally slowly inexorably sinking into that weak mind of yours that regular people don't like Ryan, and his rob the elderly and poor and give what little they have to your corporate owners.
Quite the pickle.
the righty...
You should be a writer for Leno
The Tea Party cannot really that wild about Ryan, they claim they want the budget balanced, I don't think if they are serious about that, they would want to wait 28 years for Ryan's plan to do that. His plan is not about balancing the budget, how you going to keep a plan in place for 7 election cycles while you wait for it to balance the budget. The Ryan plan is a 30 year mortgage in which everybody but the wealthy make the house payments but never get to live in the house. A 28 year long plan to balance the budget, I don't think the tea party is even buying what Ryan is selling.
The Ryan plan been debunked by a whole host of economists who say the Ryan plan is a mirage that cannot possibly achieve what it states.
Parts are clearly mutually exclusive and in conflict with each other.
The whole purpose of the Ryan plan is to economically enslave the middle-class while giving huge tax breaks to the wealthy.
.
Forrest and 1776
You obviously never read the Ryan plan.
The Ryan plan?
Oh it'll produce a balanced budget alright.
In 28 YEARS !!
In the meantime, the GOP privatizes the social safety net which totally makes it subject to the whims of Wall Street so in other words it becomes totally DE-stabilized.
This guy Ryan is smoking crack. Most ridiculous plan I've ever seen.
.
Come on Romney, you can do it! You can square your Medicare position, and anything else for that matter, with you running-mate, the right-wing extremist-teabagger, Paul Ryan.
Let's see, you're already a known Liar, a Flip-flopper, a Pension Fund Robber, a Tax-Cheat, you hide your ill-gotten Loot in hidden Swiss Bank accounts, and you then Laundry that ill-gotten Loot in your phony Cayman Island shell-companies.
You're also a possible Felon for "Retiring-Retro-Actively" as CEO, from Bain Capital when still drawing a Million dollar salary, and what the Heck is "Retro Active-Retirement" anyway? Is that something like Reinventing yourself with an "Etch-A-Scetch"? Is it some I can do with my last Ten (yes! 10) years of my Tax-Returns?
I think Mitt Romney has a Major hideous and horrific "Character Problem" and doesn't deserve our Trust to be the next President of the United States.
And I'm a Republican.
Poof
There goes the senior vote.
Something I found online:
Ryan pick marks further shift to the right in US presidential campaign
By Patrick Martin
13 August 2012
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s selection of Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate marks a further shift to the right in the 2012 election campaign. Ryan is best known for his role in drafting House Republican budgets that would privatize Medicare and devastate federal spending on all other social programs.
Regardless of the outcome of the vote on November 6, the Ryan pick signals that the US ruling elite has decided on a frontal assault on key social programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
The Washington Post editorial page put the issue bluntly, criticizing “major flaws and omissions” in Ryan’s budget plans, then adding: “Yet his selection puts useful pressure on both Mr. Romney and President Obama to be more specific about their own approaches to entitlement spending, tax reform and other budgetary issues about which they would prefer to speak, if at all, in vague generalities.”
If the Romney-Ryan ticket wins, the Republicans will claim they have a popular mandate to privatize and destroy programs like Medicare and Medicaid on which tens of millions of poor and elderly people depend. If Obama is reelected, the Democratic administration will propose cuts nearly as devastating, while claiming to have “saved” these programs from the Republicans.
As always, the Republican right sets a benchmark of reaction to which the Democrats adapt in order to shift social policy as a whole ever further to the right and carry out ever more brutal attacks on the working class…
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/aug2012/ryan-a13.shtml
Romney is saying, what did I do with that etch-a-sketch.
The Catholic Church even says our president is more pro-life than Romnut.
Well, at least the GOP is no longer pretending "compassionate conservatism."
Eliminate SS? Why, Ryan lived on SS from age 16, and SS put him through college! Why is he so insistent on taking it away from our kids?? He never paid into it--we did! If he thinks it's a handout, why doesn't he pay it back?
He says government doesn't give us our rights? Guess he's never read the Bill of Rights, or the Constitution! Government's too big? Then why is it the ONLY job he's ever had?
Voted the Biggest Brown Noser in his school--yep, yep. Check out how much $$$ he's taking from Big Oil at DirtyEnergyMoney.com. Just follow the money.
Given Ryan's position that we can't feed poor kids because we have to feed defense contractors--doesn't that make Ryan the anti-Christ?
28 years is better than never. Also, privatizing SS is much better for nearly everyone under the age of 40. I only wish that they privatized it 40 years ago so that people getting ready to retire now would have much larger paychecks from SS.
The Political Wisdom of Forrest Gump:
OOPS...economic issues??!! How Dare Romney!! LOL Cheers..Romney 2012
What would you expect from the Buffoonish Clown and the Radical Gestapo Hitler. The first one crashes on the first two of his visits overseas last week. The second will do away with the poor, sick, and elderly rather than a single race as Hitler did.
Aw poor Mitt the Twit, what a conundrum for you, you should remember, a liar needs a good memory and from the lies you have told its no wonder your mind is not working to well.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." Sir Walter Scott
"Romney struggles to get square"?
Hardly.
It would come as naturally as hiding his taxes.
ArchStanton - so that would mean that contrary to popular opinion, that Republicans are actually smarter than Democrats. (wise as serpents)
The Ryan Budget: The World's Biggest Ponzi Scheme.
http://www.billcook.net/puttin-up-the-flag.html
Too many of you have forgotten what our country is all about. This guy understands what it means to be an American and to put up his flag proudly. Not a political message.
I can go along with the Ryan plan.... IF they give back all of my Medicare payments, that I've made over the last 40 years. NO "vouchers"! Give back ALL of my money, and I stop paying into the Medicare system, from now on! (I'm 52, and WAS undecided!)
WeUSA,
The Obama Budget: Zero votes in Congress last time brought to the floor. Yes, ZERO as in nada.
Obama has no plan and worse yet, no clue.
Take 700 Billion and improve the program or take 700 Billion and give out some money off coupons (vouchers)?
I know America has been dumbing down over the last thirty some years of poor education, television, sports, and talk show hosts telling us what to think so we don't have to strain our brain, but really? That's a choice that needs discussion?
I'm guessing the real problem for the right is that they can see, dimly, the handwriting on the wall.
Ideologically, society is leaning left, and the arguments against that tendency are seen as increasingly morally and intellectually bankrupt, full of falsehoods, or often just nonsensical and/or self-serving. That is in fact why the left keeps tending left and cannot be convinced by the right: what they say does not square with the experience of most people.
Unfortunately, the extreme right has chosen to "double down" on their "individualistic" propaganda at a time when it just doesn't seem to work and bears no relation to the reality lived by many. What good is individualism if you are "labor" and some ruggedly individualistic ceo ships your job overseas, and then takes a whopping big salary for doing it?
It's a fight for survival, and the investment class and corporate institutions and the political machine they bought have the resources and the will to subvert democracy, in the name of freedom and the free market economy and trickle down.
Make no mistake, no dirty tricks are out of bounds. You only have to look at things like "swift-boating" and now ''voter registration" to see that the right political machine does not respect democratic processes.
Obama/Biden 2012
Excellent post,Madeline. And you're spot on about the right and the repugnicans not respecting democracy. They loathe it and cannot accept it when they lose. Thye IMMEDIATELY set about subverting the winner when they lose as they did to Mr. Obama the night of his inauguration.
Basically, Romney doesn't know what position he holds.
I he saying that he's against controlling costs by cutting reimbursements to insurers, against expanding coverage, but for increasing costs to seniors?
I think the republicans are finally figuring out that their polices that only help the corporations and the wealthy aren't that appealing to the people that actually vote.
PutAmericaFirst
- years is better than never.
WHY wait 28 years when it can be made SOLVENT in months with a single-digit percentage increase in the tax
- Also, privatizing SS is much better for nearly everyone under the age of 40.
Yah, screw'em eh ? there is NO DATA supporting ANY such claim & you lack of linkage supports my assertion .
- I only wish that they privatized it 40 years ago so that people getting ready to retire now would have much larger paychecks from SS.
Hummm...let's reason THAT one out, you're against SOCIALISM but FOR larger welfare checks when YOU retire....
the echo from TeaParty Canyon is always in dischord .
Everyone who worked for the last 40 yr's IS getting a monthly check that is large enough to live on with a bit to spare for desires .
Look at it this way. Pretend for a moment that the federal government is an uncaring self-interested group of greedy rich corporate minions. The Ryan process then looks something like this...
Got a budget problem you say? Medicare is too expensive and becoming insolvent due to escalating health care costs?
Where a normal person might then ask "What can we do to address the ever escalating health care costs" to solve EVERYONE's problem, Ryan's plan simply caps the federal government's obligation and kicks health care down the road to be addressed by... you guessed it... the free market.
Ryan's plan addresses Medicare alright... squarely on the backs of Americans. Ryan's plan makes absolutely NO attempt to fix health care... it simple avoids the escalating costs and pushes them downstream to those on Medicare.
Add the fact that they will repeal the ACA and you have officially pushed health care back out to the uncontrolled free market with absolutely no "plan" to fix it. And with the federal government capping their obligations on Medicare, they will have no interest in EVER fixing it.
Don't get me wrong... Ryan's plan looks fine from a federal budget minion point of view, it just sucks from a overall cost to the people point of view. Simply stated, it is myopic and lacks any leadership at all... like having the CFO running our country. I never could see how these kinds of CFO's could ever sleep at night.
In other words never... but it does screw over the Middle Class in favor for the Rich so to quote another famous Republican victory, "Mission Accomplished!"
:)
Say tax again and the Republicans will have your tongue! Remember they don't want a government, that's why they are the government. I'm still trying to figure out that strategy myself. ;)
Romney is far/against/ for/for/against/ for -- who knows!! This clown has no core, no spine, no backbone. He will say whatever the group he's talking to at the time wants to hear. He's a fraud, a phony. He choose Ryan simply because he thinks it will get him more votes than it will cost him. If he thought he could gain a few votes by picking Charles Manson or OJ Simpson, he would choose them. Romney is an insult to the party of Ronald Reagan, Ike, TR and Lincoln.
Here is the problem with people like Paul Ryan, He champions Tarp 1.0 and votes for it. His reason;
" I believe we were on the cusp of a deflationary spiral which would have created a Depression. I think that’s probably pretty likely. "
Yet When asked about breaking up these large institutions that are to complicated to control and separate all their exotic instruments from customers deposits, He says;
" These are Private Institutions and Shareholders must do whatever it takes to keep their Organization Competitive in a Global Economy"
Instead of receiving "Hope and Change" as promised, people of all political persuasions have been sharing "misery and despair," piling up emotional and financial baggage in every state of the union, which is causing the 'Obama Train' to derail.
The reason "they", the GOP, doesn't like it is because it was stamped by a Democrat and not a Republican.
Madeline...it's brainwashed people like you that is killing this country!!!
The reason dems are against voter registration ID is because they want to promote voter fraud and so that illegals can vote.
All Americans should struggle with Ryan's plan that cuts the poor and rewards the rich with tax cuts for after socking it to those in need and robbing from the poor to reward the rich!
Romney claims his plan will strengthen medicare for future generations by cutting funding. If that works maybe they should cut funding for the military or some of the corporate subsidies. He criticizes Obama for the 700 billion in cuts even though most is negotiated cuts from drug companies and hospitals and then simply slashes more under his own plan than Obamacare.
Ahh, yosolo..A calm voice on the stormy sea....The sky is falling, the sky is falling, thats the call of the blind....
And, if you added it all together, the Medicare portion of the payroll tax that you paid over those 40 years probably wouldn't buy you more than three or four years of private health insurance when you turn 65.
Yes, we had 8 cases of voter fraud in Wisconsin in the last decade and denying 10's of thousands of voters their right to vote sounds like the republicans want to win at any costs. By the way the voter Id law was ruled unconstitutional by 3 judges in Wisconsin because the voters would have to pay. A side note is our Wacko governor had the signs saying voters could get an Id at the Motor Vehicle Dept. taken down. Why do you think he did that?
Quite the pickle indeed.
“But my plan for Medicare is very similar to his plan, which is ‘Do not change the program for current retirees or near-retirees but do not do what the president has done and that is to cut $700 billion out of the current program.”
What’s more, the Ryan plan – approved by the House – cuts Medicare spending every bit as much as Obamacare does. In fact, it incorporates the very same budget projections, even as it repeals Obamacare. That’s what you call having it both ways.”
Robme will find out that he can't have it both ways, just like Reagan, when he signed the biggest tax cut in history, and the next year, just like his advisors told him, he was forced to sign the biggest tax increase in history. Ray-Gun couldn't have it both ways, I can't have it both ways, and Robme can't have it both ways.
Wow, all the lib's are up early today! Do all you guys get paid by NBC news to be the first responders to the article once it's posted?
Ryan's plan doesn't affect current seniors nor does he want to cut Social Security. His own mother, who lives in Florida is on Medicare so why would he want to hurt his own mom. Oh and stop with the "they want to throw all the old people off a cliff" garbage....um .....I am pretty sure both of them are very pro-life, so why would they want to save babies but then want to kill all the old people. It doesn't even make sense if you have a brain.
By the way, make sure you see the move 2016, Obama's America. I have been saying for months now, because I know how to analyze the facts, that Obama is a Socialist/Communist and hates America. And please lib's.... don't respond by saying the movie has been proven untrue because you can't change the facts about Obama's past and who he chose to hang around with. Frank Marshall Davis his mentor, Bill Ayers a terrorist, Jeremiah Wright his 'hate America' pastor, and let's not forget his Kenyon dad and radical mom were communists too. Can't change the facts lib's. You can't change the truth.
Romney/Ryan 2012
Just remember the truth. The age to collect will go up are you ready to work three more years. I can just see 67 year old carpenters carrying 106 pound sheets of drywall around. Next that voucher is good for 550 a month try to buy insurance for that and is as good as medicare. If you have any health problems your price goes up or you can't buy insurance at all. There is a limit on how much they will pay. Get cancer or other disease and you live for a while you will use up your insurance limit and then you will be totally without insurance the rest of your life
Well if Obama and Ryan have the same idea, maybe we can give Biden to Romney and Take paul Ryan to run with Obama lol.
Do you support the plan that has medicare going bankrupt in 12years or the plan that has cuts that will cost benefits and make things more expensive but medicare still exists?
@Ticked - I guess you didn't catch the most recent articles that gave the results of the most recent study on voter fraud. Interesting article, it seems that millions of tax payers dollars were/are being spent on keeping people from voting for nothing. The actual cases of voter fraud is so minuscule that it doesn't justify the millions of dollars being spent. On the other hand if you want to look at who is trying to keep citizens from voting, then just look to your own state of Ohio. Why is it that early voting is being prevented for Ohioans by GOP politicians? I'm neither Democrat or Republican, but I think it is childish when Americans revert to schoolyard antics in order to get their way. Anyway, you might find the article on voter fraud as interesting as I did. I ran in all the major newspapers, and was written informatively and not politically. Why do some people want to prevent American citizens from voting? A real American would be trying to make our voting process more accessible to allow the voice of the people to be heard.
and
The former statement is much closer to the truth, the latter, patently absurd since there is no evidence of any meaningful voter fraud and the photo ID requirements being pressed by the Republicans wouldn't even address the fraud they are saying exists.
The real reason for the Republican photo ID is voter suppression plain and simpler because conservatives are painfully aware that they are a minority population in the country and must use every possible underhanded technique to overcome that reality. They have always done this, it should not be a surprise, what they are doing now with voter ID is no different than what they did in Florida during the 2000 election with voter suppression. They are not about Democracy, they are about winning at any cost.
There is no squaring of the Ryan Medicare plan for Romney, he gambled on a short term bump and will now experience a loss of popularity all the way to the election as people become more aware of the details of his policy plans.
Ahhh, the pitter-patter of little feet in the morning. I love that sound. The pitter-patter of Seniors, Independents and Undecideds moving to the left. Tippy-toe, tippy-toe, in ones and twos and threes they are moving away from the GOP and coming home to President Obama.
Nice work Mr. Romney. You were already in a hole and now it's become a sink-hole thanks to the addition of raving Private Ryan.
Soon it will be a stampede as more and more people learn of the duplicity of Romney and the truth about his new running mate.
Florida is no longer a battle ground state. It's going for the President. Ohio? Iowa? All the other so-called battle-grounds, fuhgedaboudit. This could be the election where the President carries every state and US territory. Even Oklahoma, the reddest state in the union where the President did not win a single county in 2008 could go blue in this election cycle.
Ah...the pitter-patter of little feet in the morning. I love that sound. It sounds like VICTORY!
Obama/Biden 2012
Ticked off in Ohio
another person claims voter fraud when even the Republicans cannot prove voter fraud.
The National Republican Lawyers Association went all out to prove that voter fraud exist but all they could prove is that....voter fraud DOESN'T exist.
Romney struggles to "square with Ryan's Medicare plan?? Romney struggles to square with Romney's plan on Medicare, abortion, gun laws, immigration, gay marriage, health care, campaign finance, welfare, foreign policy, you mane it. Romney has plan A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H depending on who he's talking to, what day it is, what time it is, the phase of the moon, what Rush is saying, what season it is, how hot is it, how cold it is -- flip-flop, flip-flop, flip-flop.
Logic, I could see your point if he was taking that savings and putting it back into the program to sustain it. However, he is taking the savings from it to give more tax cuts to those that make over a million dollars a year. Ryan is not a fiscal conservative, all you have to do is look at his voting record. He is a partisan republican that votes with his party each and everytime. If you righties truely care about budgets, and not just when a democrat is president, but all the time, then you would be silly to vote for Romney/Ryan.
Medicare like Social Security is going broke. They both have TRILLIONS in unfunded liabilities, which means both programs can not pay what is being promised. Medicare has somewhere between 36 - 80 trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities, which means it is the most in debt and B.S. program being sold. The question isn't if there will be cuts or changes, the question is when and how much. The longer the wait the deeper the cuts.
http://www.usdebtclock.org/#
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/medicare-faces-unfunded-liability-386t-or-328404-each-us-household
All the libbies are in a tizzy this morning, they see there dismal failure of a pres in big trouble.
Do you have something to confirm this? I'm not aware of any plan that takes savings and gives it away in tax cuts.
Disabled Voter----Is right it has been found there is basically no voter fraud. It is so small it has never made a difference in an election. I didn't care either way until I read about the way the republicans try to get Democrats not to vote by sending fake letters to seniors telling them their polling place is closed or moved or hours changed. Then letters sent to people telling them the absentee voters they had much longer to vote they would wait till they got back from vacation to vote and find it was too late. (voter Fraud)
People think politicians need to fix the problem but really they don't. They have written in the bills that if the programs go broke that AUTOMATIC cuts and smaller payout amounts happen. The programs will go broke, you will be given only a fraction of what you were promised and both parties will blame the other for not fixing it sooner. SUCKERS!
Disabled Voter:
Everyone should have to show I.D. when they vote. I show I.D. when I use my credit card and voting for the leader of the free world is definitely more important. It's interesting though that the Lib's are always crying that the GOP wants to prevent people from voting; yet when they do prove that voter fraud has occurred they are all voting for Democrats. Interesting fact huh? Getting people who have passed away off the voting records doesn't seem illogical to me so when I hear that Holder is suing states to prevent them from doing this tells me many things about this administration and none of them are good. It's a crooked administration. Definitely Chicago style politics.
Under Ryans plan you can KEEP traditional Medicare or use the vouchers. It's called choice and gives Seniors a cahnce to pick what is best for them.
Ticked off in Ohio: There has not been any documented voter fraud found. Illegals are NOT voting, so why the outrage over voter ID's. Most analysis has found that the change in voter registration is to disenfranchise the elderly and minorities who typically vote democratic; thereby increasing republican chances of winning. Would like to see the data on actual voter fraud cases, esp. in Ohio.
Georgie, I hope Ryan's stand for gay and lesbian rights don't turn off too many of the right wing of the New American Nazi republican Party! of course, my republican neighbor didn't even know the facts which show how uneducated and dumbed down the right has become
A new undercover video shows a man (who is not Eric Holder) being offered Attorney General Eric Holder’s District of Columbia ballot. The poll worker caught on film tells the cameraman that he doesn’t need to see identification.
http://blog.heritage.org/2012/04/09/video-voter-id-sting-targets-eric-holder/
Another video shows undercover filmmakers registering to vote in Minnesota, where the governor has attempted to block a voter ID bill, using the names of NFL quarterbacks Tim Tebow and Tom Brady.
Logic Required, Your thoughts are illogical! Do you know that about 10% to 15% of the funds for vouchers would be eaten up in the paper work? It would also create bigger government which I thought the right was against? I guess they just talk out of both sides of their mouth like you do?
Georgie937
So let me get this straight. You have nearly 4 years of experience with an Obama administration with less taxes, less regulation, spending increases lower than any president since and including Reagan, no gun control discussion, a health care plan that tries way to hard to preserve the private business aspects, the killing of OBL, and the saving and EXITING from big banks and the auto industry...
And, instead, you rely on an obviously right wing scare flick that tries to paint Obama as some radical left wing super communist/terrorist?
I guess observation and truth left the right wing some time ago.
No were not in trouble, Romney is, He dropped 8 points in Mo. from +9 to +1, in one of the few states that voted for McCain/Palin, and who loves to elect republicans to the state house and senate. For some reason for a state that loves republicans so much, they sure cooled off on Romney in hurry. The democratic Governor is up by 14 points. Mo will go into the Romney column but it will be by no means be a blowout, the point is that Romney is not gaining any momentum and now that the ticket is set he is losing steam, even old republicans don't want their medicare screwed with, especially the ones born in 1958 or later who have paid in for years. The best demographic group Romney had going for him was older white people and the Ryan pick has thrown a real scare into them. I think Mo calls itself the Show Me state, Romney must have shown them they don't like so much, because an eight point drop is pretty dramatic from one of the few states that went for McCain in the last election.
Georgie, I hope Ryan's stand for gay and lesbian rights don't turn off too many of the right wing of the New American Nazi republican Party! Dick Cheney supported gay marriage as well if you remember and I don't recall any conservative having a problem with him. Calling anyone a Nazi shows how limited you are with thinking, you can't utter one sentence without name calling which shows your level of intelligence.
of course, my republican neighbor didn't even know the facts which show how uneducated and dumbed down the right has become He probably just didn't want to talk to you, or it's just not something he cares about. Funny how you want to tell all the republicans they should hate Ryan for his stance on gay rights, instead of telling your liberal friends his stance. Shows how pathetic the left has become. Attack, attack, attack, that's all you freaks know how to do, no room for discussion, no room for disagreement, no room for finding common ground.
PutAmericaFirst- the privatization of Social Security does not give you a bigger check. The checks will remain the same. That is, unless the whole wall street thing goes tits up again. Then all bets are off.
Here's something to think about. Let's say ALL of the SS money was invested back in 2008, as the GOP and their corporate buddies want. Where do you think that money would have gone? That's right, it would have been wiped out right along with everything else. Then, there would have been a real struggle to mail out those checks. The money would have to have been borrowed, or the funds pulled out of someone's hat. This is why we cannot have our SS funds thrown into the Las Vegas that is Wall Street, where not only is everything predicated on gambling, but gambling with other people's money.
If you think this plan puts any greater amount of money in your pocket you are sorely deceived. And that has been the GOP plan all along. They stroke you and tell you how you are so smart. Let us invest your money for you they say. You hand it over to the speculators and the investors and they play fast and loose with it. Then when the day comes for your payback you find that nothing has changed on your end. But the same speculators and big investors are taking their cut off the top of the pot. And if the pot is nearly empty because of poor or criminal management, they will still get their cut.
Ahhh, the American way.
LogicReguired
If you are well and insurable, you will use the vouchers. If you are not, you will use Medicare. That's a hell of a client pool that Medicare will cover. His plan gives the "cream" to private insurers and keeps the afflicted on Medicare... I'm sure THAT solution will lower Medicare costs (not)! And without ACA, as soon as you DO get sick you get dropped and have to go back to Medicare anyway.
Is this some kind of triple reverse non-logic solution like "trickle-me-down-and-out" economics? Does EVERYTHING have to be a scheme/manipulation?
Georgie937
according to the US Constitution, you cannot force people to pay to vote and forcing them to get an ID (which isn't free) to vote is just that. Why don't the Republicans send out FREE voter ID card to every registered voter and I will agree with you.
Also, you are so naive to think that the Republicans are doing this to preserve the sanctity of the voting system. If they did, they would go after the absentee voters since they do not have to show an ID and there are more issues with voting irregularities. How do you know who is actually casting the vote? But the absentee votes benefit the Republicans so they will not touch those.
So to say that the Republicans are doing this for the right reasons is just plain stupid. And to paraphrase Mike Turzai (R), it is done to help Romney win.
Where did you get those numbers genius? Who sends out medicare checks, benefit forms, informational packages now, you don't think they couldn't mail a few vouchers as well? Government sending a voucher to a senior who goes and gets private insurance takes that senior off the government medicare roll. How much paper and people did it take the government to keep track of his coverage, usage, costs, and medical treatments? Now all of those costs and people will be in the private sector not being paid by government. (Hence smaller government.)
Why is it liberals are so against people being given a choice to go private and leave the government system? I thought liberals were pro choice? Why can't a senior take a government voucher and get his own policy, saving the government time and money and giving the senior more control over what insurance plan he gets. You against people making their own decisions?
Kathy Stuart
down the toilet along with the 401(k)s.
Trillions of dollars evaporated from these accounts that have become the prime source of retirement funds for a majority of American workers.
But hey, who cares about grandma and grampa going back to work as a Wal-Mart greeter at the age of 72 as long as 25 hedge fund managers make $25 billion in one year combined!
That's 25 people who made $25 billion together in one year - not a bad paycheck!
Kathy, these people don't understand that privatizing SS is bad and what happened in 2008 is the best example why.
Corporations are people my friend.
Will Ryan push a corporation off a cliff once they take too much government assistance, like he is willing to do with Grandma?
I promise that Ryan is a prophet and he will show us the way!
Doesn't medicare already have these non insurable people on the rolls? So what you are saying is we must force those who want a private insurance policy onto medicare so that costs doesn't go up for those who can't afford private insurance? Well that's great, unless you like freedom, and not forcing one group to subsidize another group. Whatever happened to choice liberal?
Republicans SUPPORTED the measure in Obamacare (I will never call it anything else) that made insurance companies accept pre-existing conditions, and not drop people when they get sick, so that wouldn't change. They also SUPPORTED kids staying on parents insurance until 26. They rejected everything else.
You forgot 15 million anchor babies and counting....
I vote by absentee ballot, then go down to our local voting place and vote under my neighbors name because he says he doesn't vote, so I vote for him. This is voter fraud, do I really do this, maybe, maybe not, but with out photo ID's fraud is happening and I figure my fraud crosses out one democrat fraud. I say don't force democrats to change the laws, just commit as much voter fraud as possible until they are forced to deal with the issue. Once not having an ID doesn't benefit their side they will change the law.
Logic,
because of greed
Gov. Rick Scott is for private hospitals since he has an extensive experience in that industry. As the CEO of Columbia/HCA, he ran for-profit hospitals. Let's revisit one of them: Fawcett Memorial Hospital- the focal point of a federal nvestigation that resulted in $1.7 billion in Medicare fraud fines.
But that's just one hospital -Rick Scott's company had 163 of them.
It's also standard operating procedure for the Republican Party.
Whoda thunk it?
-usa1967-
All the libbies are in a tizzy this morning, they see there dismal failure of a pres in big trouble.
Well that's great except the GOP NEVER wanted for ALL Social Security money to be invested in the market. A PORTION of your Social Security money could have been diverted to a private plan. That private plan would of lost a lot of money in 2009 - 2010 but would have gained most of it back by 2011. So those who would of done this would be better of today (current market values) with there private money then thay have been with Social Security which has the worst return of any investment ever. But hey, don't let facts get in the way of a good misinformed rant, they are great to read.
because of greed :says bayllie
Well bayllie almost every industry in this country is for profit, including hospitals, insurance, energy, food, water, ect.. Should the government take over all of these industries to stop the greed? What kind of system is it when government comes in and takes control of private business? I know there is a word for it but can't think of it. Can you help me out?
When the government takes over private businesses it's called what bayllie?
It's also standard operating procedure for the Republican Party.
Whoda thunk it? - stopthecannibals
This coming from the party that ran an ad saying a women diedbecause of Romney. Wahington post said the ad was one of the most"discredited and dishonest” ads in a campaign.
I have to wonder just when people will start reading more and not paying attention to what some republican makes claims of. Romney himself has no clue as to what he is saying or doing. He claims the health care plan by Obama is not good..but it is nearly idential to the one he did as governor..The Ryan plan for this economy..how does the debt get paid down ? There is nothing in it to actually poay down the nationial debt that Ryan actually voted for. So far the only sure things I have seen in the Ryan budget calls for much ,ower taxes for the wealthy..and higher cost for the middle class and the poor...those on medicare or medcaid best enojy what you have..the republicans under Ryan will cut you to pieces. How else will the debt get paid down other than to cut out the middle class and the poor....??
Instead of lettingliberals and media hacks tell you about Paul Ryans plan, why don't you let him tell you about the plan.
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/08/13/Get-The-Facts-Watch-Paul-Ryans-Medicare-Plan
Because he will lie about it. That's why.
Actually, the rich have increased their life expectancies, the poor haven't.
Republicans want to create vouchers and we don't need to do that to make it sustainable.
Yes that's right just throw out some B.S. comment that he is lying without watching the video. God forbid you watch the video and tell me where he is wrong, probably because you know his numbers come from the same government you so blindly trust. I don't pretend his plan is going to not come with some costs, but it does save medicare for future generations which is something democrats are not interested in doing.
LogicReguired
Logic, most of the industries you mentioned are heavily regulated for a reason. Right now, an insurance industry can only spend 20% of the premiums on their admin costs (like bonuses/salaries of execs, etc,) and it's even less in Massachusetts: 12%. Now they have to spend at least 80% on COVERING their premium holders.
The energy industry was re-regulated after Reagan's deregulation. The energy industry first experienced deregulation during the Reagan's years because he thought that relaxing the regulations on energy companies would stimulate more competition and result in better rates for consumers. Guess what -Reagan was very wrong because Enron took advantage of the deregulation to manipulate markets, line the pockets of top executives, and ultimately, drain the finances of the state of California, compromising the state's ability to provide some services for years to come.
We don't live in a 100% free market, and I'm not sure if we ever did. When it was convienient to involve the GOVERMENT, the Republican-beloved Reagan put tariff on Japanese stuff to raise their prices. He got the government involved.
But the topic of our discussion was privatizing Medicare so I gave you an example why we lefties are against it: GREED. And the best example is Gov. Rick Scott who made billions for his company by defrauding Medicare. Scott had zero problem screwing the old so if you think that this will change, you are naive.
the righty Comment collapsed by the community
Clever. And how was that different from the Bush days? And exactly how would that be different under Romney? I know, I know... under Romney you can add "continued and increasing support of the rich"! That should do it.
Too bad you people forgot "cause and effect"... would help with your apparent learning disability of remembering what policies took down the economy in the first place.
Here's the biggest laugh of all... did you know that the only way "trickle down" economics works is if the rich reinvest profits back into business in the form of expansion and jobs? Did you also know that low taxes on the rich ENCOURAGES them to remove money from business in the form of huge paydays and DISCOURAGES reinvestment and jobs?
I just can't figure you guys out! It's just too confusing! I know you must have the middle class in mind when you create policy... I just don't know if it is to recover it or finish it off.
Mittens,
It's getting difficult to keep your lies straight isn't it. Flip-flop, flip-flop, flip-flop!
You're not the CEO anymore, people aren't just going to accept your BS just because you're the boss. Must be hard to get used to, people questioning your credibility. You may have used your money to create your own facts in business, and your flunkies accepted it while praising you, but it won't work in "real life." The citizens of the US are not your flunkies. At least not yet!
Quit lying already and just show us your taxes!
I sick of republicans acting like medicare and SS are handouts, they are called entitlement programs because people pay into them all their lives so of course they are entitled to what they paid for. If these guys want to cancel the program fine then the federal government can send me a big fat check for all those medicare and SS taxes they have taken from me for decades. I'll take a cash payout one lump sum, otherwise you bet I want what I paid for, that's not greed that is only fair, what kind of chump can call himself an American if he can't stand up for his own basic right to get what he paid for, or demand his money back. So now if you think you should be entitled to what you have paid for you are greedy? What a crock? I always thought it was a crime to take money for a product or service and then not deliver that product or service. He if they found the money to make the greedy bankers, and wall street gang whole again (plus bonuses for failure), then they can find the money to reimburse the baby boomers and everybody else that has paid into the system. What till Angie's list hears about Paul Ryan.
1.) most retirees get more out of SS then they pay in.
2.) most retirees get more out of medicare than they pay in.
3.) both programs are in trouble and without more employment to pay into them, you won't get it anyway.
4.) Politicians have robbed from the programs so we need more, younger employees to beef it up. You have already been robbed.
5.) Both sides gave stimulus money to the banks.
6.) Ryan's plan is a proposal (only,at this point) and it would be nice if there were a rational debate and compromise from both sides.
Forrest....The bottom line is that they didn't pay for everything they are promised. The government neglected to adjust things as people started living longer and now we have a huge problem. Republicans only want to make it sustainable......right now it is not.
The Political Wisdom of Forrest Gump:
points 1 & 2: How many people pay for years but never collect anything?
Points 3-5: Can be corrected with minor changes.
Point 6: Obamacare started as a proposal, and now that it is law it can be amended and improved. Dems have been trying to have a conversation and talk about compromise, but all the TPrepubs want to do it repeal it. Repubs do not negotiate, they sermonize and dictate.
I see a lot of people that don't understand the idea of compound interest. The orignal design of SS was a savings plan earning 5% interest. If followed as designed the program would have been self supporting in the 1960's, it has nothing to do with people living longer, it only has to do with Congress spending the SS trust fund and not paying it back or paying inteterest on it, much less compound interest as designed. If congress had not of robbed the fund it would no longer be requiring any witholding at all. But of course political discourse hates math. Well maybe people can sort of understand if they look at their mortgage, compound interest makes you pay three or four times more money to interest than the cost of your loan over the loan period, get it?
JoJo you don't know what you are talking about because "most people" don't get more than they pay in. People pay in a little at a time over sixty years so the can have some degree of security when they are older and not able to work. If you start drawing at 67 as required by the current law then the average would be ten years that people would be covered. Rom;ney/Ry;an say we don't affect current seniors or people over 55 although they could make it affect current retirees and near retirees by merely expanding the vouchers to replace Social Security and Medicare for them too. The GOP pollster knows the senior citizens would riot and are WAY TOO SMART TO BUY THAT LOAD OF BULL from the cold hearltless GOP. They also know younger people are way too near-sighted to realize they too will need Social Security when the get old.
If republicans wanted to sustain it they would not be ending it. If they wanted to make it sustainable they would fund it not de-fund it. We blow enough on defense to fix medicare, and if employers provided health insurance as they used to medicaid would not be footing the bill for people in Texas that have an $11.20 an hour median income. Cut peoples wages and benefits, and cut the employers taxes, will not solve our problems, it never has, less will not turn into more, it will not balance the budget, it will not create jobs, less is just less. The only people that have ever benefited from these republican policies are the very rich, we have 30 years of proof of that. The rich have gotten astoundingly richer the poor have gotten poorer, the middle class has shrunk, and the deficit has grown. Because less is less it does not magically turn into more, it does not turn into more revenue, it does not grow the economy, it does not create more jobs. Less wages, less benefits, less taxes, less regulation, you know what you get from that you get less, that is what you get, you get less education, less fire protection, less police protection, less jobs, less health-care, less roads, less bridges less of everything that used to make us the envy of the world, less is just less it never turns into more with the single exception of it does turn a few more millionaires into billionaires you do get a few more billionares. Vote for less, it's a campaign promise republicans are sure to keep, you will get less, vote for things like the right to work for less and less and less, and that is exactly what you get. Did that turn into more for those states, no, they are picking sh!t with the chickens and they are sucking welfare from the federal government at a higher rate than ever. You know why? Because they wanted less, they voted for less, so now they got less. Cut the nations throat, and then wonder why it bleeds to death, go figure.
Someone gets on here and claims to be a republican or democrat, and then writes something contrary to the belief of that party. Either they are a liar or just dumb for staying with a group they disagree with.
Forrest,
Well said. But then you always get to the heart of the matter in your own straightforward way.
Say hi to Mrs Grump.
goodnight to all of you.
Bruce-1628250
Shallow substance dude...your man in OUT in November.
Both Romney and Ryan seriously lack foreign policy and foreign diplomacy experience. (Do Swiss bank accounts, count as experience?)
And take note that Paul Ryan only passed two bills in his entire political career: an excise tax on arrows and naming a post office.
But he does have ten tons of experience as proudly supporting hardcore religious right bills that would take away ALL women's reproductive rights and their health care, and supports a bill that make most contraceptives, illegal.
For Ryan, his religious FAITH, is FACT.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/12/paul-ryan-bills_n_1769816.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/11/paul-ryan-personhood_n_1767760.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-madrick/to-paul-ryan-faith-is-fac_b_1772956.html?utm_hp_ref=homepage
Gump,
All Americans should get what they paid for as well as for what they earned. Hence, extend all Bush/Obama taxes for everybody and not just one segment over another. It is only fair that those that are paying the large majority of the taxes in this country are able to keep their current tax structure. After all, it is them paying for most of us.
We do need to fix Medicare. I don't want to have my kids deal with the mistakes of yesterday and today. Ryan understands this and has the courage to bring it to the forefront. If that makes me selfish then so be it.
PutAmericafirst
You wish SS had been privatized 40 years ago? Since I'm 61 and the market crashed just 4 years ago I'm quite glad they didn't. If I were 65 or so I would be in a world of hurt since I would have no time for my investments to recoup and I would have no income to add to them. And I would be pulling from my principle every month, which just makes it worse.
SS was intended to be the third leg of retirement (defined pension, savings, and SS). Since defined pensions have gone to 401ks etc. that makes the current retirement a precarious two-legged stool. I say this because now, half of that stool is dependent on the market. Markets crash, always have, always will. If you're unlucky enough to be older when it happens you're SOL.
And you want to make it a one-legged stool? Nothing can stand reliably on one leg. Very foolish.
SENIORS ALERT: Obamacare in 2012 has enacted policy that says:
#1 You are, too, OLD for a hip replacement, knee replacement--get in line for your wheelchair.
#2 You are, too, old for the latest Chemo Therapy Drugs. They cost too much for you.
#3 NO, you cannot see your DOCTOR, you must go to the new Care Homes and let a "Navigator" tell you what you can do & who you can see.
This plan has already happened to you. You just don't know it, yet. Mike Huckabee realizes and knows it. Need to listen before you are told,
YOU ARE...TOO OLD....TO LIVE____— TIME FOR YOU TO DIE !!!!!!!!
Basically Obama has told you that you are, too, old and dumb to think.
Get used to the idea, it already exists.
clark, darn good thing I'm not TOO OLD TO VOTE.
Clark you better chech you facts. My 91 year old neighbor is having a knee repolacement in September. That blows your theory right out of the water.The only thig he had to do was to have tests done to make sure he was healthy enough to have the procedure. Typical Rethuglican BS. The right would be happy if your life expectancy was 55, that way nobody would get social security and they could pocket the money.
rradiko
What are you talking about taking women's reproductive rights? You mean abortion rights. As far as I know that Federal money should not be used to pay for abortions. As far as Condoms and Birth Control pills, you can either buy them or get them from the Health Department for free so where is the taking away rights. Heres another way to look at it that you might understand:
1. Doing 80mph in a 40mph zone.. get a traffic tickey
2. Break into someones house and get caught.. go to jail
3. Have unprotected sex and get a woman pregnant.. Congraulations your a daddy now support your child.
Not that I am equating having unprotected sex as unlawful, but I do not want my tax money go to pay for an abortion just because you were irresponsible and dont want to face the consequences
Clark. What *precisely* do you think insurance companies do? Let doctors decide what treatments the patient needs and happily pay for them? No. They do a cost-benefit analysis and decide if they are going to approve a treatment or not. Since the ACA was passed they can no longer simply drop you or put annual/lifetime limits on coverage, which is at least something. It used to be that if you had a really bad year, your annual limit would hit and you would foot the bill for the rest. But you go ahead and scream death panels all you want. There is no evidence for what you say, plenty of evidence that the bill *stopped* death panels, and anybody with any sense already knows better.
It does not take a genius to see what the GOP stands for. Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney feel that they are the "hand of God" and tell women that if they want to have sex, they need to provide for the FULL COST of the birth control pills. If they are raped, it's their FAULT, and should have the baby anyway. He is not going to provide absolutely NO HELP TO THAT BABY at all, BECAUSE HE IS GOING TO ELIMINATE all the public services, including the possibility that you may get baby formula with food stamps.
The guy is a real "Christian".
I wonder what he would say if his way did not have herbirth control COVERED by the insurance offered to him. He has been a career politician and has perfected the art of BS. He comes across as "tough"However, he is only RUDE.
rradiko,
On Sept 18, 2008, after a closed meeting with Bush's Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Fed Reserve Chairman Congressman Ryan called his broker and sold shares he owned in several troubled banks and bought shares in Goldman Sachs, a bank the meeting had disclosed wasn't in trouble. Insider trading wasn't illegal in 2008; it just seemed unethical.
JOJO: Most of your points are true but distorted. Both social security and medicare pay out more to the average recipient than they paid in however these programs are like insurance, many pay in for decades and die before receiving anything.
Many of the dollars were paid in from the 50's, 60's, 70's etc. Claiming people getting back more now is too generous ignores inflation.
Claiming that drastic cuts as Romney proposes is the only way to save them is non sense. Medicare is solvent for 12 years. The current medicare tax rate is 1.45%, if raised to 1.75% it could probably be extended 25 years.
Your logic is as bad as Romneys that to strengthen medicare we need to provide less when the way you strengthen something is to add more. An extra $3 per $1000 in income wouldn't break anyone but would restore medicare surpluses probably enough to get past the baby boom generation when rates can drop.
I am dumbfounded to see that Robme has any support at all. Did you all forget what happened? Did you think we could just jump up and start over with a clean slate and a healthy economy and not have to put forth any effort? Did you think all someone had to do was wish for goodness and happiness to flood down upon us?
Robme is demanding "Where are the jobs??" This was the rallying cry for the teabaggers a few years ago. Then, they promptly sat down in the middle of the road and have voted NO on just about every bill that could possibly help. Bills originate in the House, and the obstructionists have done nothing to create jobs. Nothing.
This is not Obama's fault, and if you can't see it, then you are lost.
Clark. thank you for your scare tactics. i am sure that works well with the less educated and simple ignorant base of the republican party and Tea party. Being too old for an operation refers to your ability to survive surgery. Being too old for chemo refers to your body's ability to survive the chemo. But thanks for trying to hurt your fellow Americans in favor of the hidden rich who cheer you on and then have a good laugh at how easy it is to control some people. (like you)
"Ryan's plan is a proposal (only,at this point) and it would be nice if there were a rational debate and compromise from both sides."
Republicans don't want a rational debate on anything. Mitch McConnell stated the Republican policy. The teatards say -- no compromise. Republicans dump candidate who are ready to listen to alternative ideas. Ask Dick Lugar.
The concept od Democracy according to the Regressive Liberal left is mob rule. Just as they showed at the Ryan comming out parties. When regressive leftist liberals crashed the events and got violent.
Not only claiming to balance the budget 28 years later which the rich feed of the backs of the American working class and poor. We should have them pay no taxes if all their income comes from investments. That is very wealth person in America. The would pay ZERO TAX under the Ryan-Romney Plan.
Then to put a sweet cherry on top of that:
Paul Ryan opposes abortions under any circumstances that includes,
1) Rape
2) Incest
3) Any life threatening medical problem that would save the woman's life.
YOU MUST HAVE THE CHILD NO MATTER WHAT...........Even if you die
But Ryan-Romney would get millions of votes. I just hope none of those votes are women.
If those women are elderly who votes for Ryan-Romney they would subject their daughters or grand children to Ryan-Romney views
If you are a woman age 18-45 you would be subjecting yourself to these cruel and extreme views.
How can anyone SQUARE THEMSELVES WITH THESE VIEWS/POLICIES?
I would like to here the women response to this post. WOMEN ONLY!
Maybe the liberal left is trying to stop the brown shirts before hand "VALKAYRIE". Because even dangerous leaders are voted in.
If we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.
Actually, the rich have increased their life expectancies, the poor haven't.
Republicans want to create vouchers and we don't need to do that to make it sustainable.
Obama's heath care law start in 2014. At that time a panel will decide all your health care needs, including hip replacements! Most of the blogs I have read are attacking Romney and Ryan! Apparently they are either to stupid to read and comprehend or they are lying to themselves about Obama's health care law. Instead of pushing granny over a cliff as depicted about Ryan's plan, Obama is pushing the whole dam country!
With ten percent paying over seventy percent of all taxes and fifty percent paying nothing would you please explain your ideas of what’s a fair share? One hundred million people in this country are on welfare and more are sneaking across the boarder every day! Medicare and Social Security are going to go bankrupt in a few short years. Somehow we have to fix it!
Under Obama care a panel will take over all of your health care decisions when you reach seventy six! How’s that for solving your problems. At a certain age you should just die! That's the main point in keeping health care solvent under Obama!
One more thing! About voter I.D laws. When Florida cross referenced the states driver licenses with its voter registration lists it found more than fifty thousand immigrants registered to vote! I guess it does not count as an illegal vote unless you are caught! Of course Holder stepped in and shut it down! You can't have all those poor welfare riding people being denied the right to cast an illegal vote. Not when their welfare is at stake!
Steve, I pay 15.3% in social security and medicare taxes. Your 10% pay 70% and 50% pay nothing is in Federal income taxes. Even your minimum wage worker pays 7.65% of their gross wages in social security and medicare taxes with their employer paying 7.65%. Almost half of our federal government's tax revenues are from social security and medicare taxes which the top 10% doesn't even have to pay above $106,800 annual income.
Correction. The only stimulus our Congress has approved is a 2% reduction in social security tax from 6.2% to 4.2 % on worker paid social security tax which expires at end of this year. That makes my social security and medicare taxes 13.3%.
Republicans have a very comprehensive plans to solve Medicare & Social Security: DIE!!!
Only a brain dead person would vote Republican.
ZOMBIES for ROMNEY/RYAN 2012 !!!!
@jojo
Ever hear about the time value of money? Well, of course SS recipients can get more out than they put in. How would you feel about a savings account where you only got out what you put in?
And, yes, the politicians have been messing around with our money. That's why you want Ryan and Romney to stop saying stupid things like letting Wall Street in on the SS investing. Wall Street does one thing, it makes most investors poorer and the elite wealthier. It's not there for your benefit.
Social security and medicare tax receipts have more than paid for what the recipients get. You forget the fact that not everyone who pays in lives long enough to collect. For years the excess money in the social security trust fund has been loaned to the federal government to fund other things like the Defense Budget at +20% of our federal budget.
Medicare is not a handout, BUT given the rate that medical expenses are rising and the baby boom demographics it is clearly not sustainable in its current form.
While Mr. Ryan has the guts to put some ideas on the table, all we seem to get from the democratic party is "we'll preserve it" (while cutting it by $500B-$700B to fund the government takeover of healthcare named Obamacare).
It's unlikely that the Ryan plan would go forward as is. In fact, one would expect that it would require compromise pulling it way back to toward the center in order to have any chance of becoming law. However, the alternative offered by the democratic party is effectively "DO NOTHING!"
Bottom line is that the democratic side is clearly in denial or living in an alternate reality. Instead of focusing on the ACA which does NOTHING to lower costs/cost growth or improve access the democratic party should put a counter offer on the table. Then our governing process could actually move ahead and find some middle ground to move ahead on. Instead the democratic party puts up nothing for fear of losing votes. Then it engages in MEDISCARE.
Bunch of self-serving cowards!
Exactly where is this $500-$700 Billion cut of medicare that you, RNC, GOP and Gov. Romney has stated?
Typical GOP 1/2 truths. The other 1/2 of the story is that the $700B cut was oriented to administrative costs, duplication and waste (much of that from privatized and profited markups). Not from medicare services.
Sad to see such "leaders" spinning tales for votes that are so easily discredited. They obviously do no respect informed voters too much and set a low bar for themselves as a national leadership standard.
Had enuf
well said.
I realize the savings in Fraud may actually lower the needed annual increase for a while, but to keep up with inflation I think the annual increase being .5% is low.
I think the ACA cutting payments to caregivers from an unprofitable amount to a more unprofitable amount is rather draconian.
I would like to see a minimum care standard set that industry has to follow to get the business. If Seniors want and are able to pay for more services, fine, but they must realize that they will pay above costs so more services can be added to the minimum care.
The biggest pending failure of the ACA is that all care will be exactly the same, and be maximized for all. That is a prescription for failure of unprecedented proportions.
quieteye
You are a little behind the time.
The ACA at creation reduced the Medicare 500 Billion over 10 years. This has since been revised by the CBO to be $711 Billion. To get those savings, the medicare Bridge insurance program was cut. Payments to care providers for a variety of service from the 33% cut to 50% of the original allowable payments. There were some outdated and unused procedures and services cut and replaced with more "cost effective ones". And there were some treatment options simply eliminated.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration realized that cutting the Bridge insurance plan 1 month short of the election was a bad idea (it's extremely popular with Seniors).
What Obama did was take $30 billion out of the women's "free contraceptives" program and put that into a 6 month "trial program" to replace the expiring bridge insurance. There is absolutely no plans to do anything after the temporary program expires except that they will do nothing or they will make something else up at that time and pull together funds again from other programs they say they needed money for, but may never actually do.
The GOP doesn't want to take care of Americans--they want to feed the corporate war machine. You take all that Defense Budget (Defense?? Now that's a REAL joke!) and we could take care of everybody ten times over!
Medicare is perfectly sustainable if we quit paying private no-bid contractors owned by Cheney to do what our soldiers do better for far less money. We don't have a money shortage; our priorities are screwed.
The GOP wants to continue the destruction of the middle class for the CEOs who earn 363 times what the American worker earns. They want a labor class. Hell, even their economics is totally wrong. Look at Europe to see how well austerity's working! We know what works. The New Deal worked. The only reason the stimulus failed is because the president, trying to meet Rethugs halfway, made it too small.
The really sad part is, the corporate agenda has everybody scared into thinking small. That, folks, has never been the American way. Our failure to think big now is what's killing this country.
Let's dump this do-nothing Congress and give our president a blue Congress so we can all roll up our sleeves and get to work!
Then we can regulate corporations and get them the bloody hell out of our political system, and d--- the Supreme court!
quiteye,
Many of the posters on this thread cannot even understand the facts when it is presented to them in the article above.
You are right . The ACA bends the cost curve of Medicare over ten years. It does not affect a person's benefit.
“The Affordable Care Act – Obamacare – does cut the growth of Medicare by $700 billion over 10 years. But benefits to seniors actually increase under Obamacare, which reduces payments to providers in exchange for more people covered by insurance.
What do people not get about the above statement?
Romney had a month to figure out an answer to the questions asked of him in Florida. Yet he did not have a coherent answer. He wants to repeal the ACA and restore the 700M back into Medicare.
OK! Give us the details. How and when are you going to do this?
Romney always seems like he is shocked by the questions he gets. He always says in effect "well I am not Obama."
I will repeal the ACA. The same type of heath care reform he himself championed in MA.
How on God's green earth does this guy think he can be president?
North Star
Benefits actually increase - if the states accept the part of the cost for the newer benefits. Some 30 states already don't want to do this because they are too broke to add on new problems especially because in the scheme, they have to foot the bill for any cost overruns, not the fed. They are also baulking at participating in the expansion because the Fed takes more control of the state programs in mandates which many don't like either. It would be more correct to say, that benefits and payments to Seniors could increase. The reality of the base plan is actually a cut.
Speaking of defense, and hearing the Miltary saying they don't need stuff that the GOP is craming down their throat. Tell me this: Have you (anywhere in the US) driven by your small town National Guarde facility/storage area? There is so much stuff stored at these places it is unreal. In our 10,000 person town the NG has something in the order of 100 tanks, more than 100 APC. There is over one billion $$ sitting idle in a storage field. And they are everywhere!!! Com'on, this is rediculous! Or maybe it is the government getting ready to take over like the gun fanatics postulate, nah, can't be that because it is actually a financial takeover and the gun fanatics are their pawns (I mean who would you shoot at in a financial takeover of the country??)
DB Akron,
"Benefits actually increase - if the states accept the part of the cost for the newer benefits. Some 30 states already don't want to do this because they are too broke to add on new problems."
what do you mean if the states accept part of the cost for newer benefits?Are you talking about the expanding of Medicaid under the ACA fro states? I thought we were talking about Medicare.
If you want to talk about Medicaid , fine, but that is not what the article was talking about.
but maybe I am missing something?
If you would check the facts, the 500 to 700 billion comes from eliminating subsidies to the insurance and drug companies. Seniors would actually wind up paying less. And that's a fact.
Medicare is in need of reform. Social security is in need of reform Not dissolution. Better fraud detection for sure. Paul plan not the plan. Romney has no plan, so maybe he borrows Pauls'. Obama not blaming anyone for his plan. Although he could blame his party for not being supportive enough.
You sound like a frustrated tea bagger . Its folks like you who deserve Romney and Ryan. I'm sure a voucher tossed your way for six grand will buy you plenty of health care. Once Romney roll back Obama Care no one will take your old sick ass, with all your pre-existing conditions. Your voucher will buy you one hospital visit after which they will tell you to hurry up and die. Not a bad idea since an old fool like you serve no useful purpose besides assuring the republican corporation another vote.
The 700 million dollar cut that Romney keeps spouting is most likely the cut in Medicare ADVANTAGE accounts. These are Medicare supplemental accounts sold by the insurance companies that the government SUBSIDIZES. Medicare Advantage accounts pay for more than regular supplemental accounts because of this $$$Socialist subsidy that the Republicans seem to want to defend........I thought Repubs were against socialist funding.....err I guess that exempts their friends in the insurance businesses.
Ever consider to fix medicare you raise the rate from 1.45% to 1.75%. Surely paying another $3 per $1000 in income that insured even those in their 40's would still be able to get it when they retire would be worth a little more. Why is the only option gutting medicare? All they have to do is hold off 30 years till most of the baby boomers have died off and the surpluses would build.
So tell me why health care is so expensive oh wise one. Could it be that republicans said "IF WE DE-REGULATE the health care system it will work better"? Maybe you too young to remember that hospitals where run like Utilities where back in the 60s. They where "not for profit" orgs. hospitals where mostly owned by the city, state, county and charities like the church. In 1970 my doctor lived in in a four bedroom house and drove a new Thunderbird every three years and vacationed in Florida. Doctors now live in 12 million dollar mansions have three Mercedes in the driveway and vacation in France and Malaysia. Two hours of surgery got my doctor 110,000 dollars and he's laughing all the way home. If the AMA didn't control how many people where allowed to be doctors maybe this would not be the case. and this is just the tip of the ice burg you republicans created to stifle the american worker.
oh, i mentioned Utilities. yes back in the 60s they where allowed to make a certain level of profit, period. if they didnt make the percentage they where told they could raise rates to adjust, if they made too much profit they had to roll back prices. Everything you guys deregulated now costs more. gee thanks for your efficiency
Remember the fall of 2008 when the S&P 500 lost one third of it's value in what seemed like weeks? At the time I thought "thank the Lord the GOP did not prevail on privatizing SS". I'm thinking there goes my IRA, but at least I got my social security. Remember Al Gore's "Lock Box"?
How can anyone who went through that financial meltdown seriously consider junking the last and most important safety net seniors have?
The worst part of it is that many panicked investors cashed out and missed the subsequent recovery.
It doesn't take any guts to repeat a proposal to wipe out a program that has provided health coverage to millions of Americans for over 50 years.
What would take guts would be standing up to the Anti-American Tea Party and corporate Norquistians who are out to destroy this country. Why doesn't the GOP get some real courage and decide to do something which will actually help real live human beings rather than just the corporations and the wealthy ?
Time to take back the house from the greedy and move this country forward! The pick of Ryan will blow up in the teabaggers faces! Corporations are NOT people, my friend.
The Supreme Court since 1819 would disagree with you on that.
Dartmouth College v. Woodward
slodon - Fail to see your point. Case deals with sanctity of a contract. Do not see reference substantiating corporation as people. In fact, to quote...
Chief Justice Marshall's opinion emphasized that the term "contract" referred to transactions involving individual property rights, not to "the political relations between the government and its citizens.
spud, what are they?
spud, what are they?
Hjack -
Corporations are entities that people invest in to earn a profit. Kind of like a farmer that invests in raising a pig for profit. Corporations are like the farmers pig, and pigs aren't people either...Oink-Oink....
Obama/Biden 2012
GT - you forgot "that act as an agent of the people". In legal terms, they are in effect a person.
It's simple once you get over the trip wire of absolutism.
Romney never had to go through this kind of twisted logic to explain his “corporations are people” statement. Romney realized that people with an IQ greater than their hat size already know that corporations are people. From the CEO to the clerk in the mail room, corporations are the sum total of their people. And the ones who don't recognize that, will vote for Obama no matter how incompetent he is.
Families are people; political parties are people, neighborhoods are people, sports teams are people; corporations are people. Clouds are not people; mountain ranges are not people. Get it?
Deliberately pretending to misunderstand is just a stupid grade school ploy!
Kannin,
Even YOU know that Romney erred in the way he phrased his assertion that "Corporations are people, too." It was indelicate and played right into the hands of his detractors. It is, in the end, symptomatic of his insensitivity to how he might be being perceived.
Where you and I likely disagree is whether Romney was being literal.
One has to laugh at the definition of people according to the GOP/TP standards. Corporations are people .. apparently they breathe on their own, move on their own, think on their own. They earn money on their own without the help of anyone. They have sex, procreate, eat, feel joy, sadness. They apparently have the ability to reason. They apply the same standard to a zygote, the other protected group on their radar. Corporations and zygotes are apparently rated above humanity.
Liberals on the other hand believe you should be able to feel, sense, and experience 'life' to be a human. A rock, a mountain, an ocean, the sky are not human. Rather, they are central to being part of the human experience, and should be protected, but they are decidedly not human.
In the GOP/TP realm, laws must be first and foremost given to non-human entities such as the corporation and the zygote. Why, they justify the murder of humans to protect those non-human entities. Liberals on the other hand believe fully in the Constitution- actual people deserve the rights outlined in that document. It isn't we the corporations, or we the zygotes, it is We the people...
The GOP/TP version of ethics; support the killing of humans in every way but fight any law that dehumanizes corporations, zygotes, and God knows, what else.
If corporation are people lets start sentencing them to death for their crime against humanity. Lets begin with the crooks on wall street that nearly take down the world economy. For the record a corporation is an entity, which maybe inanimate or just exist on paper it is a vehicle used by actual people to make money. A corporation I guess one could say is a legal term governing the way individuals carry out transactions. A corporation can never be a person since its merely a terminology. Only smooth talking criminal could come up with such a concept. Only a dim wit would concur.
Kannin: This "corporations are people" thing is nonsense.
It is made up of people, but it is not in itself an indivisible person, with one coherent attitude or stance or a will of its own. So to say that a corporation has the rights of an individual to, say, "free speech" is to say that it has the integrated consciousness of an individual. Not in the real world.
That would require some mystical averaging of the will and opinions and experience of everyone associated to come up with some mutually held position. This rarely happens even in the most loving families.
Corporations are a device to secure owners from liability, and possibly to allow shareholders, not the people who use the device. So, corporations are not people and do not represent "people" except maybe those in executive policy-making positions.
Let's have corporations vote. Let's have a corporation death penalty. Let's have corporations pay 35% tax rate that real people do. (maybe higher as they get way more benefits from being in the USA than the rest of us, being the special people they are)
Corporations ARE NOT people. Corporations are always looking to DO BUSINESS. The GOP constantly fails to see that you can not turn everything into a pot of gold, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE.
Once you start putting a price tag to people, you are not different than a nazi soldier.
People die, but corporations have not a life span!
Prejudicial minds have deluded even the simplest forms of logic.
Kannin
"...corporations are the sum total of their people"
You are going to have to help me on this. How does a corporation have people and if so how do you aggregate them? If a corporation is wholly owned by another corporation, is one or both a "people"?
The biggest joke on us concerning corporations is that of double counting. That is, the people controlling a corporation get to vote and send money to their favorite politician as individuals. The corporation, directed by these same people, gets to take funds from its operation and spend it to the benefit of the same politicians. Double effect for the same people controlling the corporation. Did you, the shareholder, vote for this?
In politics, making a corporation equivalent to a person is a head-up-your-butt type of decision. The supreme court, just like the pope is not infallible.
A bunch of people are people. A bunch of people working together with common purpose are still people. Deliberately pretending to misunderstand is just a stupid grade school ploy!
I'm sure his staffers that were giving him advice and didn't think he should pick Ryan didn't take much time to think of his canned answers.
That might have been a smart thing for them to do. His staff is as incompetent as he is.
"Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney introduced his choice as running mate, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan"
It should say "Presumptuous presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney..."
So I was wrong all these weeks when I predicted Romney would choose Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. I admit it. I gave Mitt Romney more political credit than he obviously deserves. But, I was NOT wrong about one thing…
1. Ryan is from Wisconsin and there is no way on God's Green Earth Ryan being Veep will help his ticket take Wisconsin's Electoral votes away from Obama.
2. Ryan does not help Romney win any other votes in the Mid-West, which is solidly for Obama/Biden.
3. Ryan's Budget angered Baby Boomers and there are still more of that age group in the voting ranks than any other.
4. The state of Virginia was still in-play, and could have possibly swung to Romney with McDonnell. Not very likely, but possible. At least more likely than Wisconsin or the Mid-West with Ryan.
5. McDonnell on the ticket could have helped shore-up Republican base votes in the South, but Ryan is less effective there being from The Rust Belt.
and
6. Announcing this momentous decision early Saturday morning when most of America is still asleep. Who's brilliant idea was that? (Romney's?)
is when Romney goes to the GOP Convention, with his Veep running-mate Ryan and The GOP asks Romney to step down so they can nominate someone who actually has a chance to win.
What is the Democrat plan? Medicare fails by 2024......
I can't find it...... Please someone that represents Democrats show me your plan...
articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-24/features/ct-edit-trustees-0424-20120424_1_hospital-insurance-program-medicare-social-security
HTTP removed because of liberal censorship
Ever try to find ammo in goggle shopping lately " It's censored"
Get the "for-profit" aspect out of all forms of healthcare and magically all the financial problems go away.
.
Let it go broke is their plan. That way they can blame the Republicans for doing nothing to stop it. I can hear their rhetoric now.
"Those BIG BAD REPUBLICANS DESTROYED MEDICARE because they wouldn't RAISE TAXES ON THE RICH!"
UnitedStates1776- Nailed it. Republicons would sell their mother if they could make a profit.
Chad, is your Welfare check running late?
Probably nobody makes more profit off of the health-care industry than the Catholic Church, they own a lot of hospitals and nursing homes.
hjack- I own two companies. Funny that conservaturds think liberals are unemployed. Go back to your FOX brainwash mental midget.
Aunt Anna
You appear to be new (without looking at your account). Links get deleted until Newsvine sends you an email stating that you can now post links.
The Political Wisdom of Forrest Gump:
1776
"for profit" brought you
-"life flights"
-modern medicines - which
http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2010/11/09/where_drugs_come_from_by_country.php
BTW our contribution will be much lower in the coming years because to give Obama price reductions, Pharmaceuticals slashed their R & D by 2/3's.
-A 24 hour emergency care facilities within 10 minutes of your door in most urban and suburban areas.
- has brought you a constantly increasing supply of doctors and nurses.
- brings you the most talented doctors and nurses in the world. That might be ending because the Oil-Rich nations are paying more now.
- the bulk of the best medical equipment in the world.
- the highest survival rates for cancers in most categories in the world.
You need to put Marx's writings down. Because when you try to force your version of utopia on another person, especially if they have talent, the will go elsewhere, were they will get paid handsomely, and have the freedom to opperate as they see best.
In that same vein Bruce, you can have Romney a lot ways, there is liberal Romney, moderate Romney, conservative Romney, severely conservative Romney, fried Romney, boiled Romney, BBQ Romney ............ come to think of it Romney is like a box of chocolates you never know what you will get.
DBAkron:
That's not true. You simply need to copy the link before you POST your comment. Then when your are given the opportunity to edit the post ( for about 3 minutes), paste the link again and save the change.
bleary eyed. It's in the newsvine rules. You may have found a way to beat the algorithm they have, but that has been the rules unless they have changed them. I remember getting my email telling me I could now insert links.
Social security will not run out if they collect tax on every dollar you earn without limit. This way people who can most afford to millionaires and billionaires will keep the system afloat.
The only private sector job Paul Ryan ever had was a driver for the OSCAR Meyer Weiner Mobile.
Trying to square Romney with Ryan is like trying to square a Picaso painting.
As opposed to Obama?
John, please list for us the private sector jobs Obama has had.
The difference is Obama doesn't spend every waking minute bad mouthing government as the hypocrite Ryan does.
Obama was a senior lecturer at Chicago University. Ask Arthur Laffer, who I suppose is one of your heroes.
By the way, Rommey hasn't worked a day for at least 8 years now and counting.
President Obama, worked for a private law firm in Chicago for several years, and taught constitutional law for 12 years as well at the University of Chicago, a private institution.
There you go again with those pesky facts Gingerbread , dont you know the repubs make up their own facts as they need them, why do you have to bring up real ones .
and that job his Auntie got for him .
Theo
You are wrong about that. While running for Senate and later for President, Obama was bad mouthing then President Bush, Republicans,Wall Street and the country.
@jojo
Obama worked as a civil rights lawyer for a number of years as well as teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago. Do you think he just might know more about the Constitution than Mitt Romney? By the way, both of those jobs qualify as private sector work.
Geeze, can't Obama detractors be bothered to look up stuff, or is FOX TV the sole input? Get some critical investigation and thinking skills. This right-wing mindless drum beat is getting tiresome. Think about that the next time you have the urge to fire-off a one-liner that makes you look uninformed.
"They're different, but I can't tell you exactly how. Trust me." What a perfect idiot. This was a horrible pick and he loses Florida, Iowa, Ohio, PA, & NH over it. Game over.
Michael, you are so brilliant! Here you thought this all out and the Republicans didn't. We are impressed.
Yea and the Republicans picked half-governer Palin. How'd that work out for ya! You Betcha!
Hjack - That was too funny.
Michael Dreher,
They polled all those they were vetting in all the swing states. All of the finalists were going to help them in the swing states.
In 2008, Romney was dead last on the candidate my list to vote for in 2008. McCain and Huckabee were unacceptable.
In 2012 Romney was second on my list of choices, but in November, the only thing on my list was Anybody But Obama.
Big difference between me and the left or right. I make certain a person is who he says he is, and just accepting some political opinion from some journalist or politically leaning set up "Neutral" source doesn't cut it.
Trust but verify is the motto here.
DB, with all your blather about vetting and trusting, you still trust Romney????
Ahhh, after all the analysis DB you still came up with the wrong answer? Too bad.
The only way to "trust and verify" ANY politician is to join the Popular Amendment Movement started two years ago (where have you all been during this time) at www.faircampaignreform.us, download the petitions, sign them, circulate them, get enough signatures throughout your state to force your Secretary of State to call for a Constitutional Convention to pass these two amendments.
Note the highlighted portion of Section 2...the trust and verify part.
Petition for US Constitutional Amendment For Election Reform
We, the undersigned US citizens, duly registered voters in our respective states/territories, do hereby petition for our state to approve the following amendment to the United States Constitution by the method noted below.
Election Reform:
1. Abolish the Electoral College (Repeal Amendment 12)
2. ONE NATIONAL primary date to be held on the Tuesday eight (8) weeks prior to the General Election day for Congressional offices and for the President. Candidate petitions must be filed with the local/state elections boards 60 days prior to the Primary Election date. Federal election petitions shall be uniform in every state and shall include a “contract with the voters” that spells out clearly what that candidate stands for on all issues that they may have to address in elected office. They shall be held accountable in court for breach of that contract if elected and any/all terms are not met.
3. NO campaigning allowed for any elective federal office more than 60 days prior to the National Primary Date.
4. NO campaign contribution shall be donated to any candidate of more than $200 from an individual or $500 maximum from a family (spouses/children living in the same household.) No donations shall be made to a candidate more than sixty days prior to the primary date. No candidate shall contribute from their own funds more than 60% of the total donations from other private individuals.
5. NO campaign contribution from any PAC, corporation, union, non-profit organization, special interest group, etc. shall be allowed for any elected federal office.
6. NO third party campaigning (separate PAC ads, corporate ads, etc.) for/against any candidate shall be allowed at any time during or before the election season.
7. NO party conventions shall be held to select the presidential candidates. The selection must be done at the ballot box in the primary election.
8. The One Man/One Vote Supreme Court ruling shall be enforced by this Amendment, namely that NO federal candidate selection shall be by any means other than the ballot box on Primary/General Election Dates.
9. National Party Organizations shall NOT raise money for or donate to specific candidates of their party prior to the dates outlined above.
10. PAC’s shall NOT be granted tax-exempt status by the IRS, and any non-profit organization who uses their funding for political purposes shall lose their tax-exempt status.
11. All lobbyists shall be outlawed from influencing Congress at all times.
This amendment shall be approved ONLY by State Constitutional Conventions to be called within 90 days of this petition being submmitted to a state’s Secretary of State. A minimum of 25% of the registered voters in each state shall be required to further this petition to the respective Secretary of State.
Name Signature State Address
Petition for US Constitutional Amendment For Congressional Term Limits
We, the undersigned US citizens, duly registered voters in our respective states/territories, do hereby petition for our state to approve the following amendment to the United States Constitution by the method noted below.
Term Limits for Congress:
1. Representatives to Congress shall serve no more than two two-year terms in the House.
2. Senators shall be elected to no more than two six year terms in the Senate.
3. No elected official shall serve more than six terms in office in any combined elected offices (House/Senate/Presidency.)
This amendment shall be approved ONLY by State Constitutional Conventions to be called within 90 days of this petition being submmitted to a state’s Secretary of State. A minimum of 25% of the registered voters in each state shall be required to further this petition to the respective Secretary of State.
Name Signature State Address
If Paul Ryan wants to shrink the Government, he can help by LEAVING CONGRESS TODAY.
That will shrink the Government in a very good place. He has only had one purpose, and that is to make sure that none of the policies of President Obama have a chance at all.
Push medicare costs on to the States so the rich can get a fat tax cut. Middle class state taxes go up while Romney and his friends send money and jobs overseas. Talk about class warfare. The seniors in Florida are demanding another flip-flop Mitt.
Say goodbye to the 55 and under crowd that wants the same Medicare coverage that seniors now have and the 56 and over crowd that depend on Medicaid for health insurance.
truthier, this may tax your intellect, but try to follow this. Medicare will cease to function long before the 55 group turns 65 if changes aren't made. Your boy Hussein doesn't care, as he will be long out of office by then (hopefully this year).
Read the tea leaves, buddy. Medicare is going to go broke! Love or hate Ryan all you want, but if something is not done, your 55 folks will be lining up at the ER trying to get their care.
Hussein has you fooled by his devisive scare tactics.
As opposed to your sheer stupidity?
Hijack and bleary:
What do you think was part of the ACA Obama passed? It supports Medicare by taking pressure off of it while improving healthcare for everyone. This is a way for Medicare to continue it's critical service for the elderly and gives it a chance to survive. It's a win-win for all of us.
Everyone needs healthcare or will need it sometime in their lifetime. If you think you will not need healthcare in your lifetime or if you are wealthy enough to pay for your own, please don't deny "life saving" healthcare for the many that can't afford it.
Max, have you forgotten the cheers for letting people die during the Republican primary debates? Pro-life. What a joke.
@hjack
Your use of Hussein instead of the President's familiar name places you on the list of bigots and haters that think cute name changes can make a point. Well, it does make a point and it is not in your favor. It's been rather obvious in the thousands of posts that I've read over time on Newsvine that there are those whose mask slips when they resort to playing with the name of the candidate. Stick to reasoned points and ditch the name game.
What has Reaganomics given America over the past 30 plus years ?
As Marie Antionette once said to the starving French people, "Let them eat cake".
The French people then said, "Off witih their heads". The guilotine is not far away.
There are some very stupid prople on here! Romney and Ryan ARE NOT cutting Medicare,rather the costs to administer the monster size entitrlement. YOU stupid, mindless idiots,who think Ryan and Romney are out to cancel merdicare, are showing your confirmed stupidity! IF you are smart enough, LOOK DEEP into the Obama Care,shoved down our throats... THERE is were you will find a large degree of UPCOMING cuts in medicare... you stupid,mindless morons! BUT YOU SEE, THIS IS ALL A DEVIRSION FROM the REAL ISSUES.... The ECONOMY STUPID and with it, NO SUSTAINABLE JOBS! One Big Ass Mistake America (OBAMA) has NO VIABLE RECORD to point to, so they bring up everything else to devert attention away from their MONUMENTAL FAILURES! EVERYTHING Obama touches turns to fecal matter. ILLEGAL IMMAGRATION.. look at the death in California,today,by an ILLEGAL, who ,by order of Obama's Administration,says not to deport even though he is a known offender. so he was released back into society, and starngled and killed a 76 year old woman. ...and you stupid mindless microbes who follow and supoport Obama blindly, should all be deported to Bangladesh, Iran or some other rectum of the world!
Why would we want to join you? How the weather in lala land?
who are there...I see your cognitive abilities are at a deficit! YOu can't comprehend a written post, rather twist it, like most of YOU mindless morons,do. You're a certfied FRUIT CAKE!
Ummmm. didn't Ryan propose going to a voucher system for all over 55? Seems like getting rid of medicare to me. And we are the idiots Eric. All of your blathering seems to be coming from an idiot. Take your prozac!
Will Paul Ryan retain his house seat as Chairperson of the budget committee, or will he go back to driving the OSCAR Meyer Weiner Mobile after he and Romney lose the election to Barrack Obama?
Romney & Ryan "Hit The Road"
with
Paul driving the WienerMobile
Bruce -
Which weiner is Ryan riding? Oscar Meyer's or Anthony's?
Lets drive him out of Washington on a rail. I hope the only job he can find is diving a Oscar Weiner mobile . An appropriate job for a pea brain teabagger. Hope its in a right to work state which means right to starvation wage. This will never happen as Ryan comes from a rich family like Romney. Besides the loser loves government hand out he would probably go on welfare or disability. Government funds and social security put him through college. He owes his government job in more ways than one to tax payers. Proving Obama right again, there is always someone who plays a role in each of our success.
Unfortunately, Ryan is already on the ballot for staying in congress as well. Guess he figured all along he should be able to keep his day job.
As for Romney, this is the most people he has ever put to work. All that campaign spending is the best he's given America. So even if he loses the election he can still claim he created some jobs - temporary ones at that.
If we could get beyond the polarizing effects of politics, this country could be great.
In spite of the Republican Obstructionists!
Its basic human psychology, like being on a team or in a gang, etc; it becomes 'us' vs. 'them'. Everything about 'us' is good, everything about 'them' is bad.
I read these threads on Newsvine daily, and its 98% bulls#%t politics and 2% legitimate discussions. We can't see the forest for the trees......its going to be our undoing.
Stop being sheep. Think for yourselves.
Ryan simply showing his hypocrisy and hatred for the middle class and poor.
David, I'm sure he just sits around thinking "I hate the middle class and poor". Such an ignorant and idiotic statement. Did you miss your meds?
Not as ignorant and idiotic as someone whose best come back for someone they disagree with is to claim they get a welfare check with absolutely no evidence to back it up.
And Paul Ryan says he's Catholic ? What would Jesus call Paul Ryan ? I think Paul Ryan would have been one of the "money changers" in the Temple that gets his ass kicked by Jesus.
Would Jesus have been a proponent of permanent tax cuts for the ultra wealthy why the middle class and poor pay higher taxes and have critical safety nets cut ? I don't think Jesus shared the Teabagger philosophy. And these people claim they are Christians ? All the wealth in the world won't save their children and grandchildren from the catastrophic effects of global warming. At least think about your kids and grandkids for Christ's sake.
After Jesus kicks Ryan's butt he gets the posse of 12 to open another can of whup-ass on him. Later, Ryan is dropped off in a Gentile slum with a forehead tattoo that reads: "Tax Collector"! Peter drops f-bombs all the way home--pissed that he had to miss the "Lost" episode on account of that fool! ("Gangsta' Acts of the Apostles", Chapter 29, aka, The Lost Posse Chronicles).
LOL!! Mitt the Twit! By tomorrow his response will be: "Ryan plan? What Ryan plan?" He'll then get reamed by Limbaugh, Fox, The Wall Street Journal and Krauthammer for the remainder of August and through the convention for distancing himself from Pretty Boy Ryan. Then comes the Grover/Coulter pile-on in September. In October we'll learn that Ryan is a closet homosexual who frequently trolls gay porn sites using the handler "One-Eyed Beave". Campaign over! Cue the Obama 2d term.
Obama/Biden 2012
FOX News 49 40 Obama +9
Source: Real Clear Politics
Romney and Ryan are the most opaque politicians to come out of the Republican Party in the last 30 years. They talk around the edges, no specifics, certainly no tax returns - all of which may give an uncomfortable glimpse of how they have been conducting their finances to the to the detriment of those they supposedly want to serve. But then we know who they want to serve (the very wealthy and those without taxable, earned income) and those they don't (women, the elderly, children, schools, the disabled, veterans, minorities - and the vast number of Americans who make up the core of the the United States. These two, Romney and Ryan, epitomize the troubling and disastrous swing to the far right that their tea party brethren dream about. They're Grover Norquist's quintessential ticket - a pair so malleable by the right that their only requirement for supporting this ticket is Romney's ability to hold a pen long enough to sign his name to whatever legislation they put forth. Pathetic.
"We want to make sure we preserve and protect Medicare," Romney claimed.
Congressman Paul Ryan is best known as the author of a budget so radical The New York Times called it "the most extreme budget plan passed by a House of Congress in modern times." With Mitt Romney's support, Ryan would end Medicare as we know it and slash the investments we need to keep our economy growing -- all while cutting taxes for those at the very top.
We find Mitt Romney GUILTY of lying to the American people. Case closed.
Your first mistake was trusting the New York times. Your second mistake is actually believing them.
Bruce:
Then when Obama tries to reduce the Medicare budget by passing the ACA and reducing Medicare's budget by 700 Billion, Romney accuses Obama of hurting seniors by that. What a hypocrite! His plan is to eliminate Medicare.
Romney does lie.
Bonus: Tonight on Letterman, David's top 10 list says Ryan was "born in Kenya". lol
the wind of change...in the name of God...can you people see it now?
Libs/Dims, its time to yank your head out of the sand. Paul Ryan's own Mother is on medicare. Ryan's plan will save it for all of us, obamas plan will destroy more then health care for everyone. Someone once said "if you think health care is expensive, wait till its free". We have to pay for things to keep the process from being abused. Imagine gas is totally free, would you be likely to burn more each week? We don't like paying for gas, and we shouldn't have the highest prices ever, but to keep it from being abused a person needs skin in the game.
yes his mother..but what about our family?...wall street is not our friend
Dana--well said.
Nothing is free. Someone pays for it. Guess what? It will be all of us. Think it through, people.
Elvis--Rich, successful people are not the enemy, and the people who want you to believe they are do not have your best interests at heart.
Romney has based his entire campaign on lies and he needs to stop. He is lying. Obama did not cut medicare by 700 billion. 700 billion cuts comes from administration cost from the hospital and the insurance. It does not cut seniors benefits. Romney never stops distorting the truth. Romney has gone from bad to worst by choosing Ryan as his VP.
Make that statement a proof of fact. When the healthcare law went into effect...bye-bye with 700billion. Try again you might come up with the truth. It does wonders for ther soul. And if what you say is true. that is proof enough about obama's healthcare. It won't work as like other obama great intellectual Harvard plans that he has come up with. That guy just doesn't give up. but, we don't have to live much longer with his BREAD and CIRCUSES.
Question #1 for the Debates: Mr. Romney, you decry the fact that Mr. Obama takes $700 billion from Medicare to expand coverage for more people and reduce some payments to providers. Are you aware, Mr. Romney that the Ryan Plan takes $713 billion from Medicare for exactly the same purposes as the Obama plan? If so, why would you support repeal of the Obama plan yet endorse the Ryan plan as being 'marvelous'?
The big difference is that your wrong, the Ryan plan does not take 713 billion from medicare. The Ryan plan does however give us the opportunity to make our own choices with private companies. Think about how government runs things. Would you like the DMV (obama crowd) making your family's health care decisions, or would you trust yourself (Ryan plan)?
Question #2......Mr. Obama why do you want to throw grandma over a cliff?
Romney: Damn! I knew there was something about that little twerp Ryan that I didn't like.
Obamacare does not make your decisions, you still do. Stop lying about Obamacare.
Someone gets on here and claims to be a republican or democrat, and then writes something contrary to the belief of that party. Either they are a liar or just dumb for staying with a group they disagree with.
Better yet didn't they mean it when they say they wanted to eliminate waste in the system. Oh republicans. All they do is just talk.
Great News and Romneys Chance of winning has jumped to 29% Woohoo!!
Mr. Obama. let me ask you a question. it is said that there will be 12 people in Wash. that will over-see the healthcare law and will tell the MD's around the country that your patients will not be able to have that proceedure unless it is approved. Do you think that these older people who are paying into the medicare system should have a committee of 12 tell them that operation is not acceptable. Can you elaborate on this a little more.
@Doc S
I can elaborate the Ryan-Romney plan would have your choice of medical procedures left up to the insurance companies, just like it is now stupid.
If I were you I would vote for Ryan-Romney this way if your daughter gets raped, someone in your family rapes her-incest, or if she has a medical problem she would by law under the Ryan-Romney polices HAVE THE CHILD NO MATTER WHAT - even if she dies.
SO if i was you i would support those views and polices to the fullest.
Obama 2012
Solutions, that didn't address the issue posed by Doc S at all. Please try again.
Also, try to defend PPACA with something other than 'we'll get free stuff' and elaborate on the finer nuances within the bill.
Btw, do you have any statistics to show that the majority of abortions are performed to save a mother's life or to terminate pregnancy in cases of rape? Or would statistics show abortion is used primarily to avoid taking responsibility for the natural consequence that occurs when people have sex?
Just wondering. People can live however they choose...but they need to take responsibility, then, for the consequences of those choices.
For the record, I feel rape or incest is the ONLY time a woman should be given a choice regarding abortion. Know why? Because SHE did not make the choice to have sex in thoses cases.
At least the republicans are attempting plans. Can anyone tell me what the democrats plan are for medicare, or are they content to let the system collapse?
PutAmericaFirst: Um--the Affordable Healthcare Act, now the law of the land? What, you missed that?
And the sole response in the House? Duh, let's try repealing it--33 times?
Or did you miss that, too?
Yes, let's put America first. Let's stop the corporate takeover of our government--end Citizens United & impeach the Supreme Court 5 for making law, thereby violating the Separation of Powers Clause. Let's end all the filthy lucre in campaign spending & demand taxpayer funded elections.
Bring back free air time and equal time for opposing points of view, & truth in advertising--all those great laws Newt et al destroyed, including Glass-Steagal!
The Political Wisdom of Forrest Gump: