COMMENTARY
The Romney campaign and Republicans have set out to make them into the heroes on Medicare (vouchers = choice = great!) despite selecting a running mate who has specifically spelled out ways to gut the country's health care system for seniors and shift more of the burden of costs to the elderly.
Seeking to confuse the issue on Medicare, Mitt Romney himself, along with his GOP surrogates, have accused President Obama of being the one who "robbed" Medicare of billions of dollars, or as the Republican National Committee's Reince Priebus termed it: possessing "blood on his hands."
The GOP narrative bases its accusation on an Obama administration rule under the Affordable Care Act that reduces Medicare payments to some hospitals, private insurers, and on prescription drugs as a way to control costs on the country's burgeoning health care bill.
The problem with Republicans attacking the president on this topic is namely because it's the GOP that has voted, via the Paul Ryan budget, to cut Medicare benefits for seniors, not the Democrats. The Obama change to Medicare does not reduce the benefits that seniors receive as PolitiFact has pointed out when this line of attack has cropped up previously among the right.
MSNBC host Chuck Todd appeared to grow tired of hearing the talking point and took Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a one-time member of the Romney campaign's short-list for VP, to task when he began to trot out the line on Daily Rundown Monday.
"[President Obama] didn’t make any cuts to programs. They are trying to slow the growth and yet you guys are calling it 'cuts,'" Todd said to Jindal.
"I think the difference is that President Obama cut Medicare by over $700 billion," began Jindal.
"No, let me stop you there," Todd cut in. "But he didn’t cut it. Is it a cut? Now you're saying slowing the growth is a cut? That’s what you’re saying when you use the $700-billion talking point?"
Jindal sought to explain the nuance away, arguing Obama's plan won't work to extend Medicare. "The difference is that he didn’t use those savings to extend the solvency of the trust fund," he said. "He took that money out of Medicare to create a new entitlement when we can't afford the programs we’ve got."
Editor's Note: This story appeared under the previous headline of: Chuck Todd calls out GOP faux $700B Medicare talking point. It was updated to reflect nuances in the "cut" vs. "spending growth slowdown" debate over Medicare.
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GOP modus operandi: Never admit the facts, never admit any wrongdoing, always accuse the other side of doing precisely what THEY are doing.
They're ayatollahs, which explain why they're so eager to attack Iran: they hate the competition!
The Party of No denies the fact that they have spent 30 years sabotaging the Middle Class while bolstering the 1%.....period.
I must agree with the notion that the naton that some of the right wants based on its rhetoric will be one that is very similar to the government of Iran.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=191650
Because assuming the Bush tax cuts are made permanent and additional tax cuts to the rich are passed, there simply will not be enough money to fund it in its current form. Therefore, under GOP logic, Democrats are destroying it by seeking to preserve it while Republicans are saving it by repealing it and replacing it with private accounts and vouchers.
Get it?
There is nothing bold about redistributing Americans wealth among Americana's wealthiest. Looks like even romney does not ryan....what happened????
Yes by all means !
Welfare entitlements for Billionairres
and more gruel for middle class workers and the disadvantaged in America !
Robme Hood and Ryan of Rottingham will make sure that the rich get their walfare at OUR expense.
The media must call out the GOP and its surrogates each time they repeat these lies that were previously debunked. They are relentless in their lying and the media must match them in intensity. The Affordable Care Act strengthens Medicare part A and provides better benefits fro Medicare enrollees.
Chuck Todd amazed me here; he is almost never anything but mealy mouthed or seems to be masking at pro-GOP bias. At least he is stopping this ludicrous meme in its tracks.
Chuck can drive me nuts, now and then, but, in this situation, like most, he does a superb job of obtaining a clear picture of a political position. That is what Chuck does. He provides a format for clarity and less talking points. In that regard, I prefer to praise Chuck for his efforts and, especially, his consistancy, at striving to keep the conversation informative.
That's real, "Fair and Balanced!" That's what I like about MSNBC. "Fair and Balanced."
I can't stand that little weasel Bobby Jindal. I was surprised when Chuck stood up to him and glad he did. I've never been able to figure out if Chuck is Dem or Rep. Maybe he's Indie.
New bumper sticker ROMNEY/RYAN...VULTURE/VOUCHER!
Even though DH will be 55 by the time our next President is sworn in, he's thinking about having a bumper sticker made saying "Keep your Ryan hands off my Medicare!"
If the Obama camp was worried about a decline of young people getting out to vote this year, I have a feeling they just received a little help in that department. At least I hope they did.
One more leftnwingnut talking head.
But when they can't talk about Obummers record, it's mud slinging and 1/2 truths, from here on in.
Oh heck look at the facts: Over 8% unemployment for over 3 years now, over 41 million people now on food stamps, over 12 million still out of work.
One more tea baggged republican who believes he is at free republic and his opinion was something no one has heard from Fox news before.
Try this one math wizard: Ann lives three times as far from school as Jane. If Ann lives 10 block farther than Jane, how far from school does each of the gilrs live?
This is simple 8th grade math.
Hey, Ho lee Cow (funny) :
Bin Laden dead
American auto industry alive.
stock market soaring
4 and 1/2 million new private sector jobs
and we got affordable health care.
Republicans contributions ZERO!
Who tossed those people out of work, by the way? I seem to recall a collapse of Wall Street banks that harmed those on Main Street severely... Oh, you have amnesia? Sorry about that. But push your meaningless wares elsewhere, please...
4.5 million new jobs 4.6 million lost jos= a net lost. Anybody with 2 eyes and an ass hole can see that the unemployment wouldnt be 8.2 % if we had gaind 4.5 million new jobs. Thank you to our miltary and special ops for getting OBL. Ford wants to know what the hell your talking about they didnt need saving. having a health insurance card and actualy seeing a doctor are 2 different things.
Midnight at the oasis sing your camel to bed.
I like Chuck Todd but he is no Chris Matthews. Chris sticks to the point until statistical liars like Jindal, Ryan and Rich Romney are forced to answer the question and then he comes right back and tells them they are full of bull.
Republicans keep telling the "Joseph Goebbels" lies.
Every Republican that has access to a mic or camera is fed the exact same script daily of lies, and propaganda and attack talking points to repeat. There is no acceptance for an original idea or solution or for not following orders on what to say. It is the closet thing I have ever seen or heard in America to the old Soviet Union or to the harshest forms of totalitarian mind control.
I usually like Chuck, but today it seemed he didn't call out Jindahl for his blatant lie, but wanted to go after Gibbs. COME ON CHUCK I THOUGHT YOU WERE BETTER THAN THIS.
Did it ever occur to you that maybe ole chuck realized Jindal is correct and Gibbs is nothing more than continuous blowing hot air? Maybe he is better than what you thought.
Did anyone notice...
I see Parade has become another media shill for the Republican Corporate Ho Party. I was witness to a shameless display on Morning Joe (8-13-12). Maggie Murphy, Editor-in-Chief of Parade kept bringing up how Republicans in Kentucky had saved schools by making them energy efficient and green. It looked staged to me the way Joe led into "that High School in California".
What Morning Joe was talking about was the Belmont Learning Center in Los Angeles. Joe Scarborough insinuating it was Democrats that were to blame for this 280 MILLION dollar waste of tax payers dollars. (actually it was Reagan/Bush era cutbacks in environmental regulation that led to the High School being built on a toxic waste site) I guess Joe missed that…
As rehearsed MS Murphy made sure she mentioned it was the Republicans that engineered the success in Kentucky but she failed to mention the local government got the funds for the solar panels and alternative energy plans from Obama/Biden stimulus.
I guess the rich guys, who control the news media in the USA, decided to continued the blatant effort to make the GOP appear to be he responsible choice for 2012.
©2012 by SPQR spoact.blogspot.com
The Romney/Ryan Plan = the GOP Death Panel! Millions would not be able to pay more than what (we) are paying now. It would literally kill us.
How can romney pick ryan,
and now say he doesn't agree with ryans plan?
Maybe now they will go after each other. Mitt just can't find a friend, can he?
The Obama cuts to Medicare may not specifically cut benefits to individuals, but it cuts funding to hospitals, administrators, and doctors. The end result is many in the medical community not participating in Medicare. Few Doctors and Hospitals accepting Medicare means treatments and care may not be available to Medicare recipients even if they retain their current benefits. It is like saying every one can buy a new house for ten dollars when there are no new houses.
this pos jindal will do whatever he can to promote his homeland india!
I worked with several of these, saw what they did, cheated people out of compensation for their hardwork.
They try to pick your brain for ideas that you have, avoid taxes and in many situations, harass and discriminate against American workers!
this ... is just an opportunist riding the coatail of a scum mitten!
Way to go Chuck. It is high time to hold the GOP accountable for their LIES. Their followers are weak minded people who will accept as gospel anything the GOP says. When blatant LIES such as the current ad by the Romney campaign are aired, at some point, the press simply MUST call them LIES and explain why.
Chuck, you let Jindal spout his rhetoric for far too long. You cut him off early but you let him weasel back into the conversation.