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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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Nice try MSDNC but the Ryan plan requires wealthier Americans to pay a little more for their Medicare coverage, provides competition (which always reduces cost) and will ultimately strengthen seniors care. Obama takes $716 billion out of Medicare to fund Obamacare mainly because he promised it would be revenue "neutral" so he had to find the money from somewhere. Those are the facts and I didn't have to quote a liberal Democrat to find them.
The Romney plan is NO CUTS TO MEDICARE.
The Ryan plan is to cut $700 billion from recipients.
The Obama plan is to cut $700 billion from waste, abuse and fraud.
The real facts.
I just realized while Mitt is going around the country claiming he won't make any cuts to Medicare, his website still says he's going to the Ryan vouchers system.
Key Elements of Mitt’s Plan
When we talk about the Obama and Ryan "cuts" what we're really talking about is slowing the rate of growth. Essentially, Romney is calling these "cuts" when Obama does it but not when he does it. There's proof positive of Romney flip flopping as we speak and you will still believe whatever he says.
Simply looking at a number like -$716 billion is an easy way to lie to people because they don't see where that number is coming from, which is the waste fraud and abuse side of medicare costs.
take a speculative example, during the budget/debt ceiling debates the Republicans basically said that any tax loopholes that are closed have to be accounted for by lowering the tax rate to make up the difference lets say we remove enough loopholes that the taxes must be lowered by 5% to make up the difference. if such a bill passes would it be correct to say that taxes were lowered by 5%? sure, but does that mean those taxed are paying less? no, because their paying the same amount but through slightly different channels.
FLIP-FLOP? You must be joking.... Obama & Co is the KING of flip-flops.... How many times has Barry jumped ship on gay marriage alone?
Too bad the President can't vote PRESENT........
http://2016themovie.com/
It is very sad, but true if you fact check that Romney/Ryan do not care for anyone but the top 1%, which apparently includes them. This is a great country and we need to move forward. Even though Obama do not come through with all promised, there is the realization that the president can only do so much. We have an obstructive congress that is only out to defeat Obama at the cost of the middle class. History shows that we, the middle class do better when the dems have the presidency. Obama needs to be given 4 more years. Romney lies, flip-flops, and is totally out of touch. And, on top of that he picks a running mate who would be letha to the women of America. Where did these "men" come from the 17th century? The trust factor and compassion for people is just not there so they will not get my vote. I am pretty much tired of GOP referring to medicare and social security as entitlements like we have done nothing to deserve them. Americans have worked and paid for these BENEFITS. Maybe we should refer to congress and senate benefits as entitlements and strip them from their greedy hands.
NBC - One of Obama's highest paid employees. Hope he's not using our tax money to pay them but I wouldn't be surprised if he was.
More stupidity from the Obama Campaign Media Channel.
Ryan ALREADY put forward his budget and his FIX for Medicare as a Congressman. It was not only NOT even voted on by Harry Reid's Senate, it wasn't even put up for debate, discussion, or negotiation.
He's now running for Vice-President and has to support the candidate for President, which means there is NO "flip-flop" since it will be ROMNEY that will be making the decisions.
The FACT is that Obamacare STOLE over 700 Billion dollars from Medicare and said that it would be paid for by paying LESS to health care providers. Now, think about this really hard libs......If you are told that you are going to be paid LESS for the SAME work, are you going to keep on doing that same work?
So what we get is the health care providers that are going to REFUSE to enroll in Medicare, which means less care available for seniors and more seniors DYING. (Not even counting the 15 member panel of bureaucrats that sit and decide whether Obamacare will provide medical care to you based SOLELY on the cost of the care, i.e. the DEATH PANEL).
As confusing as this all is, my sense is that Obama is addressing the cost issue while Romney/Ryan plan addresses the demand for health care.
To my thinking, demand is only going to increase as the population ages, the cost (for which we pay 2x what most of the rest of the world pays for healthcare) is the crucial issue.
The only thing Obama has done is defer the cost to everyone... including those not even BORN YET..... doesn't seem like he's addressing the ACTUAL issue .... he's just voting PRESENT on this one............
Van Hollen does not understand economics. He sets on the budget committee but appears to be in a daze when it comes to understanding the basics of saving Medicare. Paul Ryan is miles ahead of Van Hollen and Obama when it comes to saving Medicare without ripping off the tax payers. Ryan does not have to use smoke and mirrors or lie through his teeth like the demorats do because he has real solutions.
Where has the democrat plan been for almost 4 years? These phony losers are a bunch of loonies who continue to lie and do anything to protect their careers! If you call Obamacare a plan you need to have your fat head examined. Obama has already shown he will lie and steal more money out of Medicare to get his lousy replacement of Medicare. If you believe this loser you are in sad shape mentally.
Do you realize that Ryan's plan essentially reduces coverage?
It does curtail expenditure increases but it does so by reducing coverage and increasing participants' cost.
Ayn Ryan's plan is to make me and mine pay more for less so that the aristocracy can pay less taxes. That's it!
Romney and Ryan are being proactive. Medicare is due to go bankrupt in 6-8 years. They are trying to fix it before that occurs. Obama's solution? Do nothing and hope he gets to keep his gov'ment job. Sort of the same tactic he's using for addressing the deficit, the jobless rate, and the tanking economy.
This is laughable!
They are going to continue to hit Ryan? Any of these Dem morons from Team Obama realize he's the number 2 guy on the ticket?
Do they know the electorate votes on the number 1 man and not number 2? You bet they do.
This is a shining example of how desperate the Obama campaign is getting now.
I think it's an indication that more people take Ryan seriously than take Romney seriously. And by picking Ryan, Romney effectively endorsed Ryan's policies.
Even though Romney is at the top of the ticket, Ryan is the real #1.
2 Proper nouns: Sarah Palin.
Mark, it is a sign that Team Obama is desperate for any opening they can find and they are finding the pickings are very slim as per the polls.
Romney endorsed Ryan's ability to take on difficult issues head-on and his fiscal conservatism agrees with Romney's vision of what this country needs now.
Romney's pick of Ryan has absolutely nothing to do with your guess, hunch, whatever you want to call it, that Ryan is the real number 1. What an idiotic claim.
And your assertion that Team Obama views Ryan as the guy more people take seriously is logically bankrupt. And another prime example of how desperate Dem leaders and supporters are becoming at this early stage.
Which spells doom for Obama.
They are two peas in a pod. They are both proven liars. Romney lies 71% of the time.
Ryan voted against the stimulus, then went around begging for stimulus money. Then he tries to deny begging for stimulus money that he voted against!
Oh? Please list these lies and your proof that they are false. Bet you can't and won't do that.
Here ya go loser! Did your house burn down because you are too cheap to pay for a real actual fire department? Are you expecting us Democrats to bail your sorry self out again?
It makes sense to me.....
Biden lied about having three undergraduate degrees
Biden lied about going to law school on a full merit-based scholarship
Biden lied about graduating in the top of his law school class
Biden admitted to plagiarism during law school
Biden plagiarized a speech while running for president in 1987
No wonder Obama chose Ole Joe for VP....
Mittens lied about his home state when it came to running for governor in MA.
To date, we don't know that he hasn't lied about his taxes.
Ryan lied about taking Stimulus money for his district.
Show me a politician that doesn't lie and I'll show some one who isn't a politician.
I can not understand how anyone, liberal, conservative or independent, can overlook the massive problems with our current administration.
Romney/Ryan 2012
Mark, You are blind to the actual facts.
Cogito, I'm just stating facts. Do with them what you want, but they are facts all the same.
BTW, I don't know how anyone in their right mind would vote for Romney/Ryan.
Mark, I know you just want your party to win. I know it has nothing to do with what's best for America. You just want libs in the white house and you do not care who it is. Obama has failed at every step of his presidency. I don't know of any sane person that would vote for Obama.
Romney/Ryan 2012
Like Rudy said, Biden is just not a smart guy. He's dumb.
Obama has proven time and time again that he makes bad decisions. Biden being top of the list.
The Obama campaign should know about flip flopping after all they have Obama the undisputed King of flip flopping. Hey Ben LaBolt like anyone cares what you say.
The flip flop charge is one of, if not the all time most stupid notion ever invented as a negative. I would hope that any politician would flip flop if their original idea was lacking. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind if something else makes more sense. The opposite of that is Obama, standing his ground on Obamacare. A system of health care that can not be sustained. Obama is desperate.
Romney/Ryan 2012 Beyond Hope and Change is reality. Let's fix the economy.
Now we know why Ryan came up with 55 and older wont be effected?
They are a big time voting block
3 things you don't F-with in america:
Guns, Cars and Social Security Checks
And Barry will never raise taxes on ANYONE earning less than $250,000.... unless it's for healthcare PENALTY.... increased gas taxes.....increase food prices..... increased EVERYTHING....
And then he' argue extending the BUSH tax cuts to help us out? How about making tax cuts PERMANENT?
The program that guts Medicare is Obama's to the tune of $716B. The effeciencies they say will result are reducing payments to doctors and hospitals via the 15 member benefits panel. This won't happen and is why the "Doc Fix" Medicare payment adjustment became necessary to offset Medicare reductions.
Four years ago Obama campaigned on the fact Medicare could go bust in as soon as 8 years - logical and accurate but his obsession with ACA put Medicare at further risk.
In FL where the Seniors are really pay attention confidence in Obama keeping Medicare solvent runs way behind Romeney/Ryan. That is one reason Rubio wasn't picked as VP... Republicans can win FL without him.
Democrats don't even know what is in Obamacare. If they did they would speak out against it. Enjoy the implanted microchip.
Funny coming from a guy who's reference part of a bill that never actually passed, the microchip provision wasn't part of the passed 'Obamacare" bill but one of the several different attempts by the legislative branch to come up with a working healthcare reform bill.
Also the microchip was only to store data on medically implanted devices like a pace maker for example.
Obummercare. It'll be defunded by this time next year.
R&R say that they will not touch anyone over 55. I have family that is under 55. My family is more important than Rmoneys tax cuts.
Besides Rmoney lies a documented 71% of the time. How do I not know he wants my money too?
When someone votes for a sociopathic liar like that steaming pile of Mitt, what does that say about your morals?
The debate for Medicare after so many decades has been made in so many ways.
Yet we have to look again at how, in a few short weeks that we no longer understand the problem.
The deliberate calculation to confuse the issue is the sleight of hand used to create problem where no problem exists, or if it is a problem at all and if the nonsense proposed is a solution to non-problem.
This is the old political fear tactic, "If you can't convince, them, you can just confuse them." They will scatter in panic, cower in fear, hide in their homes, and cave in to the fear, trying to figure out the distraction.
The confusing part is easy, say this one day, and say that next day and another thing the third day. Getting an answer is just like asking a child, who's been punished before, to tell the truth, you ask again, and again, and again. Children learn from adults, and browbeating leaves is lasting effects, they learn to lie better the next time.
Medicare has to do with the economics of the economy, making enough to carry the expenses and will not be solved by distractions.
The following link is how confusion is developed into a fine art, an art where pure money and pure invention, produce money for some, but not even remotely connected to producing anything of economic value. Pure confusion for the sake of confusion, using this explanation as a model, make up a complaint, and take it to your doctor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_default_swap#Probability_model
Credit Default Swap (CDS)
Definition of 'Credit Default Swap - CDS'
Investopedia explains 'Credit Default Swap - CDS'
The GOP/Rove team are hoping that mixing Ryan extremes in with Romney moderate policies will confuse everyone enough that they may just say "I trust those sharp looking white guys that look my son/grandson/brother/father who is such a nice man and would never do anything to harm anyone that did not deserve it, even though I don't have any clue on what their real policies are" - the Ryan/Romney shell game, about like all those old game shows that you had to guess what somone did for a living, or maybe a new version of the Newlyweds where the runningmates get to find out what their new partner is really like after that honeymoon.
Yes Bill, that's the strategy. "Sharp looking white guys?" Nice touch.
Race card - nice.
Paul Ryan: Liar. Flipper. Crook. Hypocrite. I just ordered a new bumper sticker this morning:
Romney/Ryan 1840
I did, too! "Hope and Change, Part 2 Redux" Obama/Biden 2012
But you are a liar.
Now that Obama is slipping behind in the polls his surrogates at NBC are in full spin mode. To say that Ryan is flip-flopping denies two truths: first, he is the number 2 guy on the ticket and Romney is using his plan as a framework to inform his proposal, which does not cut Medicare. Second, Ryan offered his plan as a congressman; meaning he had to work within the context of current law, e.g. Obamacare, which cuts $716B from medicare. Under a Romney administration, which will eliminate Obamacare and restore the cuts, Ryan's proposal works from a new baseline.
This is not difficult to understand, which is exactly why the administration is trying to obscure the issue and confuse the electorate.
ryan flipflops while barry lies on an hourly basis. show us your records, barry, you know..... the ones that youve spent so much on to keep them secret.no not the forged ones, the real ones.
So much time and money keeping them hidden, you mean.
It's a real wingnut that can't see the forest for the trees. Obama has failed to such a degree that it is unimaginable that he could get a second term.
you are correct,
it is unimaginable that hussein could get a 2nd term,
until you meet Mitt
How did a muslim win? Palin and Bush
obama is a dummy for thinking he could fix this mess!
Obama is a mistake.
You are correct again about Hussein cog,
he could not stop the stock market from being so bad right now it should be a lot higher then it is now and he ain't creating enough jobs from where we were before he became president!
Hussein regulations on wall street is hurting the economy!
I'd rather vote for somebody who is smart enough to modify his plan (Ryan) than for a liar (obama).
Amen!
Obama wants to gut medicare so he can create a more socialist style of medicare and social security.
Romney want to turn over medicare and social security as a unregulated wall street voucher system.
Which way is the best???
Governor, the next time someone asks you about your tax returns, which match what those dishonest men Reagan and McCain released, tell them you'll be happy to when Obama unseals all his college grades, etc., that he spent big bucks to keep hidden.
REBEL WITHOUT A CLUE, Please enlighten me as to what the hell one's college transcripts have to do with anything, much less equating them to Willard's tax records which are most definately pertinent to his qualifications.
Mittens is running on the fact that he his the financial guru, the guy who understands markets and money. The American people has the RIGHT to see his records and exactly how much he's screwed the U.S. Treasury out of while working stiffs pay triple or more his tax rate.
His own father set the standard for this by releasing A DOZEN YEARS WORTH, stating that one or two years could be a fluke, an aberation. Trying to drag Obama's school records into the equation merely proves how desperate you folks on the Right are. We do know that Obama was selected to head The Harvard Law Review and graducated Magna Cum Laude. If that ain't goode enough for you, which apparently it's not, nothing will satisfy you Reich Wing crazies. You're the same crowd that screamed that his "short form" birth certificate was unsatisfactory and then when he released the long form version you still bitched and moaned. Ain't no pleasing far Right ideologues like you.
Headline should be:
Obama flip flops on cutting the deficit in half during his first term
or
Obama flip flops on his statement that he does not deserve a second term if he did not turn the economy around in his first 3 years.
Note to All you liberals: I know all the excuses and who Obama blames, so don't repeat em.
For claiming to be the party of "personal responsibility" you guys are the first to dodge any and all responsibility. Maybe if your GOP/TP politicians in Washington would try to be part of solution rather than blind partisan obstruction, we could move closer to our goal. At least we are not viewed as ignorant rednecks by the rest of the world now....that has to count for something!!
I believe the person dodging responsibility on important issues facing this country is in the White House, called President Obama. Almost 4 years have gone by and he has yet to submit a budget that his own party would vote for, due to the lack of Obama addressing the debt and deficit. As well, Obama will not take on the difficult issues when it comes to dealing with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. You are correct, Democrats with the help and support of the liberal media have painted the Republican as Obstructionists. There are two parties and neither appears to want to work with each other. It is not one sided. Having said that, we need a President who will lead and bring both sides together. Problem is Obama is a far left believer and does not and will not compromise. Oh I know, it is painted differently. Obama makes zero effort to see another side of an issue, especially if that issue is near and dear to his left wing beliefs. Obama is no Clinton in many ways and belief structure. Obama believes the solution to every problem is more government spending. The debt will catch up to us and there will be cuts at that point in time. We need to deal with the problem now. That will not happen with Obama.
so you are suggesting that romney and ryan are more centrist and will be able to bring both sides together? really? The budgets have NOT been shunned by Dems as you state, they have been ignored by Repubs because it shifts some of the burden from middle class onto upper. Go to CBO site and read it for yourself. Obama is the only one who has compromised....duh! How do you think Bush tax cuts got extended? He gutted PPACA of its best parts to get Republican support, then GOP/TP attacked the very same parts that they insisted on...(single payer) Give me a break and turn off the Faux News
The CBO uses numbers they are given, whether there is a sound basis for the nubers or not. Tax the rich is a nice sound bite and talking point that too many people buy into. If you raise taxes on the landlord, the rent goes up. If you raise taxes on the business man, he will charge more for the goods and services he sells. Explain to me how this helps the middle class? Yes, I believe someone who believes in the power of free enterprise and who has a record as a leader and not a community agitator will encourage cooperation and get things done for the good of the entire country, rich and poor. Kind od sad that people buy into to this idea that somehow wealth is the problem.
TO: Tony C-2383666 who wrote:
What do I care about that when Romney & Ryan are talking about taking away Medicare that I paid into all my working life? That is my money that Romney & Ryan are talking about siezing!
Republicans don't give a crap about no deficit either, and we can see that because Republicans are good at CREATING huge deficits, but I've never seen one single Republican actually PAY down ANY deficit!
Furthermore, if Republicans were REALLY worried about their children's future, they'd spend more time trying to make sure those kids have clean air, clean water and safe food instead of trying to remove all the regulations that protect our food, air and drinking water!
Obama/Biden 2012
I see you believe Democrat talking points. No one is talking about taking our Medicare away. Both parties have spent too much money when they were in control. Obama has increased the debt by 5 trillion dollars in just over 3 years. Obama wants to continue to spend as he believes the way to solve every problem is to throw money at the problem. You seem to believe we can continue to spend and never face the issues that the debt will result in down the road. There will be changes to all these programs. Do you really believe there will not be changes and cuts that the Democrats keep saying will not happen? This idea that Republicans do not want clean water, etc is yet another talking point that people buy into. We all have children, regardless of party. No one wants to remove all regulations. Really sad some folks actually believe this nonsense. Vote for who you want. But 4 years of high unemployment, weak housing, poor job growth and massive debt increases is a fact. If you held Bush accountable for his years in office and I do, you need to do the same for the Obama's time in office.