Democrats turn guns on GOP over Medicare

Ahead of last year's midterm elections, groups sympathetic to Republicans ran (sometimes questionable) ads hammering Democrats for voting to cut Medicare in connection with the health care reform law.

Now, in the wake of the House GOP deficit-reduction proposal that would turn Medicare into a voucher program, it's Democrats' chance to go on the offensive on the issue. And with the 2012 elections looming, they're not passing it up.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a humorous web ad today in which seniors are shown selling lemonade, mowing lawns, and, well, stripping to make up the money they would need to pay for their health care under the Republican plan.

Democrats have seized on the GOP plan as reflecting Republicans' desire to give tax breaks to the rich while taking benefits from seniors, who tend to vote in larger numbers then most Americans. It also launched ads in 25 districts calling on local Republicans "to keep his hands off our Medicare," though the ad buys were very small.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has found that because the GOP plan doesn't keep pace with the rising cost of health care, seniors would be paying an estimated 68 percent of their own insurance costs by 2030.

Republicans know that taking on Medicare is politically perilous, but with entitlement programs a major driver of the federal deficit, they elected to propose major changes to the program this year. President Obama's deficit reduction plan would reduce Medicare spending "by leveraging Medicare's purchasing power," and cut Medicare spending $100 billion over a decade.

[getcentered]

I find it amusing that Boehner, Cantor, McConnell and a whole group of other Republicans are now so worried about the deficit.
Weren't all these same people in congress when they were basically handing the Bush Administration a blank check that started the downward spiral of our economy?

The Republicans had control of Congress from the 1990's up until 2006 and in that time they passed deregulation (dismantled the Glass- Stegall Act), we had two unfunded wars (Iraq and Afghanistan), an unfunded tax break for the wealthy and the unfunded Medicare Part D.
Where was their fiscal responsibility then? So it is funny that now they cry about what they helped develop. Their tactic is now to divert attention away from the fact that they helped create this and somehow blame the average American worker and the current administration.

Republicans are cowards.

[heathermmc]

if we would seriously attack the fraud and waste, we wouldn't have worry about this program, however, when it's not your money and you get a bunch more next year, who cares if you waste a few billion or not. We all have to work hard to earn the money we make and we have to work hard to save that money. There is a big difference in mindset towards waste/fraud.
Heather
<a href="http://www.mymedigapconsultant.com">Medigap Plan Comparisons</a>

[JEngdahlJ]

With reform in place, what are the primary Part D considerations for employers? http://www.healthcaretownhall.com/?p=3175

[BigGrizzly55]

I hope that the Communists (Liberals) have the barrels pointed in the right direction, their own mouths. America will be ever so grateful.

[jimbom121]

Why? Who is proposing to get rid of medicare? Oh yeah...its the Repubs.

[mary-miami]

Medicare and Medicaid exist because of poverty. Rich old folks don't have to worry about paying rent or paying medical bills because they have enough money. Working class and working poor people spend their whole lives doing labor intense jobs for very little salary. They live paycheck to paycheck and cannot save money because their rich employers refuse to give them raises. When the workers get old, they have only their social security checks to pay bills and keep a roof over their heads; their bodies are battered from years of hard,physically demanding work. They really need to see a doctor at that point. How can they unless they have medicare? As far as medicaid goes... Consider the worker being young and getting paid a minimum wage of $7.00 or $7.50 an hour. Do the math. Republicans and Teaparty are cruel, selfish people, who think that the rich are a superior class of being. Poverty exists because of rightwing greed. Everyone deserves good quality of life. The only party that defends equal rights and opportunity for everyone is the Democrats. I will vote to ReElect President Obama in 2012.

[crazyname]

So obama cuts medicare after 2012, and whever is presdient takes the heat. but if Obama is reelected, god help us, he will ignore it and raise taxes again to cover it.

Fis the greed, waste and corruption in medicare. medisare items are sold over market price because the FEds allow it. Cut the waste, cut the corruption first. Nobody has done that. Then put people back to work Barry! The number of taxpayers is dropping, the number of parasites is increasing, as is your spending and your government control over citizens which is agains the constitution, and it is all being done to get votes from the parasitic moucher class. don't pay taxes, you son't get the right to vote!

[jimbom121]

Obama's plan does not cut medicare. It shifts Medicare Advantage to medicare. It does not cut.

[tsigili]

Medicare is NOT the problem. Seniors are not the problem.

The problem is all the deadbeats on Medicaid.

[realist51]

Real easy fix here just increase the amount people pay into medicare. compared to an monthly insurance rate of between 600 and 1500. I currently pay 50 a month to medicare. twice as much for my medical insurance co pay.and this will be going up yearly as ins costs go up and percentage paid in goes up. so a 100% increase would be no skin off my nose and shouldn't even be a issue. Just like any other service rendered when the costs go up so do the fee's. medicare/medicaid and SS. should be going up as cost go up. this bogus line of b.s. about all the baby boomers hitting at the same time is just republican speculation. with the way things are going no one is going to be able to afford to retire at 62 much less 65 and anyone born after 1956 won't receive full benefits until they hit 67 for SS. Too there used to be a time when companies paid for there retires supplemental ins after 20 years of servitude. you don't see this anymore.

[reluctantzealot]

Obama paid zero towards Social Security...why is he exempt from paying the regressive tax that takes food out of the mouths of millions of poor Americans???

[jimbom121]

because he is a government employee. No public employee pays into the social security pool, and the federal, state and local governments do not pay the employer half.

[pasha128]

by RobAla April 19, 2011 8:53 PM EDT
"Democrats turn guns on GOP over Medicare".

They are joking, right? After the Democrats cut more than $400 billion from Medicare last year when they passed the stupid health care law? I don't think they have a lot of credibility in this area.


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$400 Billion to allow insurance companies to double dip seniors all to increase private insurer's profits-- getting additional insurance premiums and discounts the Republicans refused to allow Medicare to negotiate. Rob -- What was that money used for -- Answer to pay for 1/2 of the 2003 REPUBLICAN Congress passed entitlement called Medicare Part D passed by the Republicans entirely on the credit card. Where is the next post calling for the end of that program had the Democrats in the last session of congress not made the really tough decisions to pay for yet another something for nothing program to bailout private businesses. The 2011 Tea Party Republicans campaigned against deficits for Medicare Part D and yet in their first legislative act voted to add $1 Trillion back onto the national debt every 10 years to pay for the program when they reversed the Democrats REAL cuts to pay for the program and protect this benefit for seniors into the future.