Yes Virginia, the GOP is planning to use Medicare against the Democrats

Yes Virginia, the GOP IS planning to use Medicare

by digby

This talking point is from the RNC's web-site:

Reach Out And Touch Medicare

4

August 2011

Posted by: Research

For The Record…It Was Obama Who Offered To Cut Hundreds Of Billions In Medicare During The Debt Debate

OBAMA AND DEMOCRATS PUT MEDICARE CUTS IN DEBT CEILING DEAL

USA Today: “Cuts in Medicare and other entitlement programs are on the table.” (Susan Page and Fredreka Schouten, “Political Damage Even If A Debt Deal Is Done,” USA Today, 7/31/11)

Obama Agreed To Medicare Cuts In Debt Ceiling Deal. “The deal announced on Sunday by Congressional leaders and the White House would make across-the-board cuts in military spending, education, transportation and Medicare payments to health care providers if Congress does not enact further deficit-cutting legislation by the end of the year.” (Robert Pear, “Congress Must Trim Deficit To Avoid Broader Cuts,” The New York Times, 7/31/11)

  • Obama Said “Adjustments” Must Be Made To Medicare. OBAMA: “Yes, that means making some adjustments to protect health care programs like Medicare so they’re there for future generations.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks On Budget Control Act, Washington, D.C., 8/2/11)

    DURING DEBT CEILING DEBATE, OBAMA OFFERED $650 BILLION IN CUTS TO MEDICARE, SOCIAL SECURITY, AND MEDICAID

    [More news articles her]

    DEMOCRATS WORRIED OBAMA WHITE HOUSE TOOK MEDICARE OFF THE TABLE AS AN ELECTION ISSUE

    [More news articles her]


As I have said a million times, the GOP has retired the concept of hypocrisy. The fact that every last one of them voted for the Ryan plan --- which turned Medicare into a "voucher" system to force the elderly to "shop smarter" --- is no impediment to them using Obama's inexplicable decision to offer up Medicare in the proposed Grand Bargain against him. There is no "holding hands and jumping over the cliff together." They run to the edge with you --- and then push you over.

The President wanted a Grand Bargain, a Big Deal, a Great Compromise that would bring the two parties together to offer the necessary human sacrifices to the Market Gods. But he may have ended up being the sacrifice himself.


Update: Greg Sargent reports that the Democrats and Republicans are already taking different tacks on the Super-Committee with the Republicans saying upfront they won't appoint anyone who will agree to raise taxes and the Democrats saying everything is on the table:

[L]iterally two days have passed since Obama signed the debt ceiling deal creating the super-committee, and the debate over it is already carrying echoes of the last one, in which Dems were confident they would win if they occupied some sort of reasonable middle ground while painting the GOP as uncompromising and ideologically rigid.

Indeed, Nancy Pelosi told new media reporters today that if Republicans “want to draw lines in the sand” they will “look like the obstructionists.”

“You won’t see me drawing lines in the sand,” Pelosi continued. She was making a purely political case here, and given Pelosi’s track record, I expect she will push hard for committee appointments that will try to hold the line on entitlements benefits and new revenues. But Congressional Dems appear to be again proceeding from the assumption that they will win politically if they signal more flexibility at the outset on core prorities, while painting Republicans who are making it clear that they won’t budge on their priorities as extreme and crazy.



I'm sure you all know the definition of insanity, right?

.