Democrats to attack Republicans for pushing Medicare cuts

[alp227]

Source: Wash. Post

The Democratic Party will begin a campaign on Wednesday to attack Republican lawmakers for pushing cuts to Medicare benefits during the latest round of failed federal deficit talks, a new turn in a drama that not long ago featured top Democrats expressing a willingness to tinker with the popular entitlement program.

The strategy underscores the full-circle nature of the policy fight that has gripped Washington for the past year, as early calls for bipartisan solutions have turned into trench warfare in the wake of last week’s collapse of the debt-reduction “supercommittee.”

GOP officials are girding for the Medicare attacks, which they concede come with a history of success for Democrats.

The offensive will begin Wednesday with a flurry of automated phone calls to voters in 30 Republican-held congressional districts, accusing the GOP of “forcing” a supercommittee failure because they wanted to protect tax breaks for the wealthy by cutting Medicare.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democrats-to-attack-republicans-for-pushing-medicare-cuts/2011/11/29/gIQAstATAO_singlePage.html

[cstanleytech]

1. Well it will be interesting to see the republicans try and wiggle out of the accusation especially

considering how close to the mark the dems are on by making it.

[Kalidurga]

2. The problem for Republicans is that they think this is a good thing.

They will probably want to run those ads against them as their own campaign ads. They are proud of throwing grandma under a train so they can cut taxes for their rich buddies. They think cutting programs from poor people is good because giving people a safety net just encourages laziness. Yep, if you lost your job must be your fault for demanding wages that are more than the slave wages they will pay in China.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

5. That's exactly how republicans think

until they lose their job and home.

[No Elephants]

3. Interesting. President Obama had nothing to do with it?

WAPO January 15, 2009 story originally headlined "Obama Promises to Cut Entitlements," since changed to "Obama Pledges Reform of Social Security, Medicare Programs". (mentions, among other things, a "Grand Bargain" and a Presidential Commission)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011504114.html



Soon after taking office, President Obama appointed the Simpson-Bowles Commission, whosse recommendations Congress supposedly could only vote yes or no on, not amend.

However, that commission, also known as the cat food commission, could not get the votes required from among its own members.


(Compare Obama's actions with the recommendation by the DLC that Obama name a Sunset Commission, appointed by the President Obama, whose recommenations Congress could only vote yes or no on, not amend. http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=254871&kaid=85&subid=65 )



In July of 2011, during the debt ceiling kabuki, Congressman John Conyers said it was President Obama who put cuts to "entitlements" on the table, not Speaker Boehner or Cantor or any Republican. Conyers called for demonstrations in front of the WH. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/29/1000282/-Conyers-spills-the-beans-on-Obama-call-for-WH-protests

We miraculously emerged from a debt ceiling debate with the Super Committee, whose recommendations Congress supposedly could only vote yes or no on, not amend.

Supposedly to force the Super Committee to come to agreement, President Obama included a sequester in the plan. Rahm Emanuel called the sequester the President's "insurance" that cuts we be made. And the President says he will veto any attempt to circumvent the sequester.




And now, the Democratic Party is claiming that cuts to Medicare are the fault of Republicans in Congress and only Republicans in Congress?

Interesting.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. It's about time the people were told about this

people should strike if the GOP are trying to do this

[Bozita]

6. WTF took so long?

[SoapBox]

7. Let's see if the Dems/Progressives can make this stick..or if the DINOs will mess it up.

There is just a plain and simple SHIT LOAD of stuff to use against
the Baggers and Haters.

Why the HELL can't the Dems figure it out?

Get a freak'n spine and man up for a change Dems!

[FiveGoodMen]

8. The pukes try to screw us out of affordable health care ... but the Democrats are "attacking"?!

Not a slanted headline at all.