Morning Joe discussion of Ryan plan totally devoid of facts

[flpoljunkie]

Donnie Deutsch thinks it will only cost those under 55 only a 'little bit' more. No one contradicted him. They sang the Ryan hymn and echoed the Republicans' argument that it just needed to be sold better to the American people. This video of Senate Republicans spells out how much more Medicare recipients will be paying--$6,359. I suggest these glib, yet totally uninformed, Morning Joe regulars watch it. They also do not know the Ryan plan would affect today's Medicare recipients--elimination of the donut hole closing, no more free yearly exams--just to name a couple of benefits Medicare recipients would lose under Ryan's Medicare plan.

* Dems keep up pressure on Senate GOP on Medicare: Dems are releasing a new web video featuring footage of Senate Republicans praising Ryancare and slamming it for hiking seniors’ health care costs — a sign Dems are determined to keep up momentum after NY-26 and the overwhelming Senate GOP vote for Ryancare yesterday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/the-morning-plum/2011/03/03/AGZOcwBH_blog.html

[JoePhilly]

1. To Morning Jerk and crew, $6300 is "just a little".

[PatSeg]

4. Yeah just 1/2 to 1/3 of a senior's yearly income

if they are relying on Social Security to survive.

[JoePhilly]

6. For the monring Jerk crew its probably about .001% or less.

[PatSeg]

8. They can't really conceive that there are real people

out there who live off of Social Security. I've talked to so many people here who on good days they have just "enough" to survive, but they aren't all good days, especially when you are sick or disabled. With what little they have, Paul Ryan and his cohorts would take much of that away from them.

Reminds me of Alan Grayson's version of a republican health care plan - DIE.

[KeepItReal]

2. CNN ain't any better. They are repeating GOP's "serious conversation needed" meme about Medicare

Disgusting.

[CTyankee]

3. You know when they say "serious" and "adult" regarding conversations about health care

reform that what they mean is "screw you" conversations about health care reform...

[PatSeg]

5. Ah, you speak Republican- speak quite well

[Mass]

7. Even the Boston Globe is bad today. They are blaming the Democrats because they are happy

of the victory in NY-26, then call them to join the GOP in offering a fair deficit reduction, and all that while saying voters are stupid.

Now, I wonder if the Globe can tell us which Republicans they can negotiate with?

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2011/05/26/dems_cant_just_scare_granny_voters_must_face_facts_as_well/

Dems can’t just scare Granny; voters must face facts as well
...
The election confirms a long-term trend: When presented with candidates who feign outrage over deficits but offer only false, piddling solutions such as cutting Planned Parenthood or NPR, voters are enthusiastically on board. When presented with candidates of either party who propose either tax increases or changes to entitlements — both of which will be necessary to balance the budget — voters run in the other direction. As long as the public refuses to acknowledge the need for real sacrifice, elected officials will, too.

Inevitably, Hochul’s victory prompted lots of crowing from Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats. It’s now entirely realistic to think that the Democrats can achieve major victories in 2012 by running strongly against the budget drafted by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and approved by the GOP-dominated House. After accidentally scaring seniors by tinkering with Medicare reimbursements in their own health care overhaul last year, House Democrats are now back in the familiar position of defending Granny — to a fault.

The Democrats are r]ght in saying that Ryan’s budget would trim the federal deficit on the backs of seniors. Very plainly, it shifts the responsibility for higher medical costs from the government to Medicare recipients — while making more room for tax cuts. But while Ryan’s value judgments are objectionable, his budget attempts to address the tradeoffs necessary to achieve the taxpayers’ goal of deficit reduction. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting ($531 million per year) and Planned Parenthood ($300 million per year) don’t make a dent. Medicare and Medicaid ($793 billion) plainly do.

Yet if President Obama and other Democrats try to wring the maximum political benefit out of public distaste for Ryan’s budget, they’ll only make a budget deal more elusive. They need to join with Republicans in enacting a long-term solution combining modest benefit adjustments to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security with targeted tax increases. It’s the only palatable solution. It’s also a reasonable interpretation of the voters’ mixed signals.

Even voters who are deeply concerned about deficit spending rely heavily on Social Security and Medicare. A plan that preserves both programs with limited changes to benefit levels, while also making a substantial cut in the long-term deficit, is in the public’s best interest. It’s what voters want, even if they don’t know how to say so.

[PatSeg]

9. That is so disappointing

Did the media jump all over the republicans all the times they played the "scare granny" card? Scare tactics have been the GOPs primary message for years now, but the Dems get called on it.

[Dawson Leery]

18. Unless you are a Republican, you get called on for everything you do.

IOKIYAR

Many around here are the same way too.

[PatSeg]

19. True

If the Democrats hadn't taken full advantage of the situation, they would have never heard the end of it from all sides. The "Dems need to grow a spine" type of criticism.

Oh well, I don't see one single Democrat who regrets playing the "kill Medicare" card every chance possible.

[AtomicKitten]

10. In a nutshell, the GOP seeks to privatize Medicare.

[flpoljunkie]

11. That's exactly how Olympia Snowe described Ryan's Medicare plan

She exactly right, of course.

[AtomicKitten]

12. It's hilarious that 40 Republicans willingly and with eyes open walked into the trap.

Now they are desperately trying to reframe the debate on this POS legislation. On CSPAN today they were calling it a jobs bill. Wink-wink. LOL.

[SkyDaddy7]

13. Not to sound selfish but...

What about people like me who are totally handicapped & cannot work plus all my social security money each month is eaten up in medication cost...I already feel guilt in a way because all of you are paying my bills but it is not like I was not on private insurance to start. I had gone back to school full time & was on my wife's insurance policy when I was injured. Then after about 7 months my insurance company dropped me due to cost forcing me into Medicare...That is honestly STEALING because my wife was paying for insurance & once you need it its gone!

Where would people like me get care under Ryan's plan? Have they said? How much was the voucher $6,000? If so, that would barely cover my RX a year. Man all I can hope for is Obama getting reelected & the Democrats get back control of the House so they can balance the budget without killing Medicare...If they do gain full control & do not make huge cuts in spending then the Republicans will come in & destroy Medicare & Social Security. Which means some Democrats would have to vote for defense spending cuts which will be next to impossible.

[flpoljunkie]

16. Do not feel guilty. We, as a nation, should be doing more for those in your position-like every

other industrialized country in the world. Yet we have Republicans who, while having access to great, affordable healthcare from the federal government, want to put those who are under 55 at the mercy of health insurance companies--and thereby shift the cost of medical care from the government to seniors. They are both greedy and despicable.

[Drunken Irishman]

14. I saw watched that live and turned it off. Donny Deutsch is an ass...

I'm skeptical of anyone who says, "I'm a Democrat, but..." as he consistently said throughout that segment.

:eyes:

[flpoljunkie]

17. He may be a Democrat, but he's a clueless one. He's glib, though--a requirement for cable teevee

[Drunken Irishman]

15. And where the fuck was Morning Joe during the whole healthcare debate?

The Republicans produced NO PLAN to go up against what Pres. Obama was proposing. All they did was attack, attack, attack. Yet I don't ever recall Morning Joe saying Republicans needed to get serious and start a dialogue with the Democrats and that at least Pres. Obama was doing something.

It's the same thing with the economy. Republicans have spent two and a half years attacking Obama's economic policies - from the stimulus to the auto bailout and what have they proposed to strengthen the economy? Not a damn thing.

But they ignore that.

[Zoeisright]

20. Morning Joke IS completely devoid of facts. Or brains.

And by the way, Joke (sic), what about that dead intern in your office?