For years, Democrats wrongly portrayed GOP proposals to curb the growth of Medicare as attempts to kick medicine out of Granny’s hand. Now the roles have reversed, and Republicans are falsely accusing Democrats of cutting Medicare benefits as part of the health care reform proposals. Some may cheer this role reversal as “turnabout is fair play.” But it shows how both parties are willing to scare seniors in order to score political points. No wonder it is so difficult to reform entitlement programs.
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18 Comments
Duh Dems also want to tax the bejeebers out of the elderly as well. Taxes on all sorts of appliances, scooters, wheel chairs and mobility devices.
“No wonder it is so difficult to reform entitlement programs.’
For Republicans “reform” means kill. While for Democrats it means expand. Just look at what the cons did to Welfare.
A nation that does not help ALL of its people risks being a nation that the left behind have no love for.
Some of our elderly our confused. They need to be made to know that Republicans wish for each of them a Walmart greeter job. Being greedy with what the entitlements they have can only help them to lose it.
It has been a point of contention for years, many full time Wal-Mart associates qualify for public assistance.
Being a greeter is not going to effect their benefits on Medicare. If anything they may need more assistance.
Gee, Walmart has it all figured out. Hire people and pay them so little they still receive welfare. Next step, slavery. At taxpayer’s expense! Maybe it’ll catch on at your workplace.
Three Libs comments and three Walmart remarks.
Yep, lockstep mentality…
“Now the roles have reversed, and Republicans are falsely accusing Democrats of cutting Medicare benefits ”
Phil why do you post lies?
The Democrats bill includes almost half a billion in cuts to Medicare which includes cut to Medicare Advantage which wil admittedly affect the payments made by over 10 million seniors.
At least post honestly Phil
It is not a reversal of roles. The Republicans have always been more conservative (cough cough) when it comes to sending on entitlement programs (there now you know why I coughed).
The democrats have always accused – lied that the republican proposals are “going to take your social security away”. Ditto Medicare.
This is undeniable truth.
I’m sure you are posting this to get your blog numbers up Phil, but don’t lie to do it. It’s ok to post dorky photo’s of Bush and have dozens of Palin threads – but at least report honestly to start the discussions.
“No wonder it is so difficult to reform entitlement programs.”
Exactly. Partisan hacks of all stripes are all too willing to damage opponents who dare to try to suggest reforming entitlements. BTW, the Democrats are still at it as well.
Brownlee LIED!
And the Elderly DIED!
Brownlee, your DemoRats ARE proposing cuts to Medicare, and the ’savings’ will be used to help pay for ObamaCare!
You LIE Brownlee!
Speaking of bullsh*t scare tactics.
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/09/rnc-tax-attack-goes-too-far/#
“You LIE Brownlee!”
Re: JJ
DNFTST
“Re: JJ
DNFTST”
And after saying that, I am going to feed it anyway.
Here is the sort of bullsh*t the Spam Troll is referencing.
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/more-senior-scare/
But again, when it comes to Medicare, bullsh*t is bipartisan.
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/09/senior-scare-yet-again/
Quote from the ‘jawless fish’s’ link:
It’s true that the Senate Finance Committee bill as it was introduced did contain a levy on clinical labs and manufacturers of medical devices based on market share. Nonpartisan arbiters like the Congressional Budget Office say these costs would be passed on to consumers.
A tax started is a tax never ended – it only increases.
It is the dims proposing to take away the Medicare Advantage plans from Seniors not the Republicans.
“Speaking of bullsh*t scare tactics.”
Agnatha those items HAVE been discussed in congress and explored by more than one party (RE: Taxing hc benefits MCCain).
That they were discussed and people told about them does not make it scare tactics.
It isn’t scare tactics to tell seniors that the democrat plan will cut medicare benefits and/or increase the costs of services for the seniors.
That is true.
Now, if someone is still using proposed legislation which was abandoned, that would be scare tactics or using fear.
But with all the bills/proposals out there; house and senate – it isn’t clear to the people exactly what IS still being proposed. Even democrat senators have admitted to that.
If democrats want change, they need to regroup, slow down, and take their time to CLEARLY present a bill to the American people and give the people time to digest it.
If it is “right” it will stand the test of time.
“Agnatha those items HAVE been discussed in congress and explored by more than one party (RE: Taxing hc benefits MCCain).”
Bullsh*t comes from exaggeration as well as outright lying, AmWay. Like I have said before, I use the Harry Frankfurt definition of bullsh*t, in which a person basically says anything to make a point, and that would be a mixture of truth and lies. The bullsh*tter is unconcerned with the truth, either in terms of representing it or avoiding it. The bullsh*tter is just concerned with the consistency of his/her message.
The scaring of seniors comes from saying that the other party wants to “cut your Medicare”. However, cutting or eliminating some programs within Medicare in favor of others does not necessarily amount to actual, functional cuts, and writers and producers of the ads that are in question are intentionally unconcerned with the actual complexity of the legislative proposals and discussion. They simply want to kill or support it, or to use a politician’s words to punish him/her, and they will say anything to accomplish those ends, including throwing out factoids free from any sort of context.
And like I said, both parties do it.
For example, the “60 Plus Association’s (a coalition conservative front) ad:
“After celebrating the accomplishments of older Americans, the narrator gets straight to the scary stuff: ‘Congress plans to pay for health care reform by cutting $500 billion from Medicare.’ The ad doesn’t mention that the $500 billion is a gross figure that counts only proposed cuts while ignoring any increases, including a big increase the bill proposes in projected payments to doctors.”
Omitting context to mislead? That’s bullsh*t.
From the DNC ad:
“The TV ad (snip) cites House vote number 191 from March 20, 2009, as justification for the claim that Republicans ‘actually voted to abolish Medicare.’ But that was not a straight up-or-down vote on the existence of Medicare. Rather, it was a vote on a Republican alternative to the annual budget resolution that Congress passes to set targets for federal spending and revenues, to guide the appropriations and tax-writing committees. The GOP alternative budget contained a ‘policy statement on Medicare’ calling for gradual conversion of Medicare from government insurance to government-subsidized and government-approved private insurance.”
Again, omitting context and interpreting a policy statement for changing the nature of a program as a proposal to abolish it? That’s bullsh*t.
And the willingness of both “sides” to engage in bullsh*t as soon as the opportunity presents itself, on a difficult issue like healthcare and reforming entitlements, is why reform will be so very, very hard.
Agnatha, you are full of garabage, and lie just like Brownlee does.
Obama has said he is paying for his health care plan through unspecified ‘Savings’ gained in Medicare spending.
Different figures provided on different days between $300 and $500 Billion in Medicare ‘Savings’.
‘Savings’ = CUTS
Of course we are not ALLOWED to see the details of the Final Democrat plan to be able to verify anything or do a True Factcheck, but we are expected to support this plan WITHOUT Seeing It!
Why do the DemoRats want to Hide the Final Bill?
Where is the Transparency?
The Final Bill can’t withstand the light of day for 3 whopping days before a vote?
Why not wait 30 days for a complete review of such Sweeping and Irreversable CHANGE to our Health Care?
Yep.
Following my own advice now.
No more soup for the Spam Troll.