Reply #13: I was very surprised that they protected Medicaid - not Medicare

[karynnj]

Medicare has its own funding - and it is not running a deficit now. It is true that long term, it is not completely solvent, but there is no reason to deal with that by cutting it now. (I also thing the "cuts are to the providers" is disingenuous. If the remuneration, already pretty low, is lowered, there may be some areas (or some specialties) where they refuse Medicare patients.

The only thing I can think of is that it is intended to be strategic. Just as Daily Kos blasted the trigger from how our side looks - "wanting to cut defense and raise taxes" going into the election. It may be that the Republicans see that cutting anything in Medicare is politically difficult. (Good strategy, probably not, but where on this has our strategy been anything but bad? )

I hope to stay away from GDP today, but will likely break down and go. I agree that spinning something obviously bad is not a good idea - you just look like you are afraid to tell the truth.

My biggest concern - more than the awful provisions - is that we have rewarded the RW for holding hostages and they will do it for everything now.