Obama campaign says Ryan forced to flip flop on Medicare

 

The Obama campaign said that Paul Ryan “flip flopped” on the issue of Medicare now that the Romney campaign is accusing President Obama of reducing Medicare spending in the same way Ryan had proposed in his budget.

On a conference call with reporters, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ryan’s Democratic counterpart atop the House Budget Committee, noted that the president’s health care plan cut more than $700 billion mostly out of the Medicare Advantage program, which affected insurance companies and hospitals rather than beneficiaries. 

But Ryan’s budget plan also calls for the same spending reductions, even though Romney is now accusing Obama of “raiding” Medicare by instituting the cuts and has said he would restore the spending.

“It’s kind of sad to see Congressman Ryan be forced to flip flop on this issue by Gov. Romney,” Van Hollen said on the call.

He claimed that while Medicare trustees have estimated the spending reductions would extend the life of the entitlement program for eight years, Romney and Ryan would essentially be negating that extension should they implement their plan.

“They will hasten the insolvency of the Medicare program by 8 years, that’s according to the Medicare trustees. So what they’re announcing is that by the end of their term if they were to be elected, Medicare would have begun to go bankrupt by the end of their term,” Van Hollen said.

Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt suggested they would continue to hit Ryan on the apparent contradiction between his budget proposal and Romney’s plan, a strategy that allows them to hit their opponent on policy while also suggesting Ryan is a flip flopper, a claim they’ve long been making about Romney.

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obama is running scared and he should be.

As far as hillary she is setting up another war for our people as she is dancing with the big wigs over their.

  • 1 vote
Reply#104 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 5:29 PM EDT

Does anyone think this makes sense?

  • 1 vote
#104.1 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 6:24 PM EDT
Reply

Paul Ryan's "Favorite Band" Rages Against Him

By Lisa Balde, Friday, Aug 17, 2012

Tom Morello is none too pleased that Mitt Romney's newly picked running mate has named Rage Against the Machine among his favorite bands.

"Paul Ryan's love of Rage Against the Machine is amusing," Morello wrote, "because he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades."

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Paul-Ryans-Favorite-Band-Rages-Against-Him-166549676.html#ixzz23qQROjuk

  • 1 vote
Reply#105 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 6:25 PM EDT

And we would care why? Just anything to keep from talking about Obummer and his failed policies. Idiot.

    #105.1 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:46 PM EDT

    Ayn Ryan is part of the machine they are raging against. When is Ryan going to get off the gravy train and do something? In 13 years he has managed to rename a post office, reduce the taxes on the arrows he keeps losing, and came up with a tax plan that does not add up.

    This is the best and the brightest the republicons have???

      #105.2 - Sat Aug 18, 2012 1:25 AM EDT
      Reply

      On the other hand, Obama doesn't flip-flop? He "evolves" (flip-flops).

        Reply#106 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 6:31 PM EDT

        Actually, I thought Obama was in the slick willy camp of "depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is". You certainly see that playing with the antecedent in that "you didn't build that" comment. I mean, anybody listening to the tape knows he wasn't talking about roads & railroads, but businesses. And in the video it was even worse with his condescending arrogant tone. I think soon we'll be having to talk about whether oral sex is really "ses" with our 7 year old kids.

        Makes me think Shakespeare had it right when he said, "first kill all the lawyers!".

        Well, maybe not mittens... Oops!

          #106.1 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 6:42 PM EDT

          And I think slick willy is infinitely better than the sad sack we have now. Oral sex with interns, perjury, and all...

            #106.2 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 6:46 PM EDT

            and pivots...

              #106.3 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:28 PM EDT
              Reply

              Is the Obama campaign afraid to focus on Mr. Romney's plan, or is the Obama campaign afraid to define its own plan once Medicare becomes insolvent?

                Reply#107 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:33 PM EDT

                Obamas new slogan- "Lean Forward, we're not done screwing you yet"

                  Reply#108 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:48 PM EDT

                  Well, Well the Republican Party Ticket is complete and they got what they deserved. We have:

                  Romney The Panderer and Ryan The Hypocrite

                  .....and both are royal flip-floppers....

                  How can anyone be so foolish as to vote for this disaster? Unfortunately, it seems some people are. The Republican Messaging Machine, over the last 4 years, has been good at fooling a lot of fearful people out there.

                  **By the way - Ryan's supposed "bold" Budget "Plan" on entitlements that was touted as his idea and presented to Congress .... It was completely cooked up by right-wing wacko's at the Heritage Foundation. So much for the image of him being his own man and an economics "expert'.

                  • 3 votes
                  Reply#109 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:58 PM EDT

                  Historically Medicare was solely a Federal Gov't run program. In the early 2000's the Republicans in Congress passed a law enabling private insurance companies to compete with Gov't run Medicare. They did this to prove that private insurers could provide the same benefits as Medicare at a cheaper cost.

                  What happened was the insurance company Medicare plans (Medicare Advantage) cost MORE to run than Medicare - not less like Republicans thought. The federal government has been paying the insurance companies extra money, over and above the cost of traditional medicare, to provide the same benefits as Medicare.

                  What Obama is proposing, to save 700 billion, is to stop paying the insurance companies extra money to provide the same benefits as Gov't run Medicare.

                  What Ryan is proposing to save the same 700 billion is to make senior citizens pay 700 billion more.

                  These are facts.

                  • 3 votes
                  Reply#111 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:54 PM EDT

                  They did this to prove that private insurers could provide the same benefits as Medicare at a cheaper cost.

                  Really? Medicare and Medicare Advantage are two different animals. I won't even go into the profitability issue.

                    #111.1 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:52 PM EDT

                    Indeed they are, and Medicare Advantage is the boondoggle that you intended it to be.

                      #111.2 - Sat Aug 18, 2012 1:29 AM EDT
                      Reply

                      Ryan is just another right wing nut empty suit.

                      • 1 vote
                      Reply#112 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:28 PM EDT

                      I saw the headline: Unemployment increasing in 44 states. Obama needs to run on his record ... right out of the country!

                        Reply#113 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:43 PM EDT

                        Flip Flop ? Oblameo Guantonamo much? Got big ears and a goofy grin, wipe that kool aid off your chin. Wake up, the divider in chief is not Presidential material. The economy and America's state of affairs prove that. Vote Romney and be part of the solution to the problem that is Obama. Let's get this divider out of office and get started with a real recovery.

                          Reply#114 - Sat Aug 18, 2012 4:01 PM EDT
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