Obama Blasts Romney-Ryan Medicare Plan - Ryan on Medicare Speech to Seniors in Florida 2012 – Flashback: 1999 Ryan Bill to Protect Seniors

2012 VP Candidate Paul Ryan with Mother, Betty, speaks before huge crowd in FL on Medicare! - Crowd size visible on Real Clear Politics Video in link Paragraph 3 - image csmonitor.com


President Obama, on the stump for re-election has charged that the Romney-Ryan Medicare plan would hurt seniors due to the voucher system that is included in the plan. (AP) That may be news to Romney and Ryan as that has not been the intent of either man – rather, they are proposing a plan that would insure those 55 and older continue to receive benefits without any changes, while those under 55 would have a choice of either staying with traditional Medicare, or buying insurance that would be subsided, based on income, in an open market (where one would have the choices that Federal employees have as to health care providers, not limited by states). As the DNC talking points continue to insist that the Romney Ryan Plan is going to cut Senior Benefits, Ryan is talking to seniors about how the Obama Health Care Act includes drastic cuts to Medicare (Billions), and also includes the installation of a panel of bureaucrats which will decide further cuts, as well as care decisions. (Which is true under the Health Care Affordability Act).

In general elections Medicare is generally brought up by Democrats in mailings and advertisements telling seniors that if they vote for a Republican, they will lose their benefits, and in general elections of the past, politicians, including Bill Clinton, have avoided the big issue of Medicare in elections Philadelphia Inquirer Archives Sept.15, 1996., based on polling data – the same was true of Bob Dole, the GOP candidate who ran unsuccessfully against Clinton that year.

However Ryan, in his speech to seniors in Florida, suggested that the plan he and Romney proposed is based on one similar to Bill Clinton’s.video here at realclearpolitics.com. In fact, in 2011 there was a brief meeting between President Clinton and Paul Ryan in which the dire situation of Medicare was discussed as Clinton hoped the Democrats would not “do anything” Watch on You-Tube.com here

Ryan is not new to the Medicare Debate, and has been trying to protect seniors since entering Congress – from the Milwakuee Journal Sentinel Headline February 7 1999 “Janesville Republican’s Bill Would Shield Current Benefits from Cuts” - Ryan stated: “No matter what other reforms need to be made to make the program solvent in the future, there will be no change to current or soon to be retirees” he said..

Although in most general elections this would be political suicide, regardless of party, to bring up any changes to entitlement programs, even if they are designed to save a program – it is so much easier for those running for office, or those in office, to use it as a political football, and then kick it down the road. In this election there is more at stake, as the Medicare Program is gutted under the current Health Plan and melded with Medicaid, furthermore, that panel of bureaucrats who would cut services to seniors, does so without consent of Congress. For those seniors on Medicare or those 55 and older, this cannot be comforting. Individuals who have paid into Medicare all of their lives, should have some benefits at the least when they retire and are booted off traditional insurance. In this election, Romney and Ryan are at least proposing ideas to salvage the system and replace what is surely unfair to seniors with a program that protects them.

What is normally not ground for discussion on a GOP ticket, or even a DNC ticket, has come to the forefront – with Ryan’s understanding of policy and budget structure, his warnings, if unheeded may have dire consequences ten years from now. It remains to be seen if the millions of seniors that vote each year, as well the millions of baby-boomers nearing retirement, will take the chance that the Democrats will “protect” their benefit, while Republican’s will take the benefits away. If Seniors are paying attention, then the unthinkable may happen and the Democrats stand to lose yet another “group” that normally is in their back pocket.

Obama’s Health Care ACT HR 3200 Stalled in the House – Blue Dogs - Not Alone – Other Democrats ready to Nix Health Care Program - Analysis

Obama’s Health Care Vision for America has been “temporarily” put on hold – the House left for recess with Blue Dog Democrats insisting the Bill stay in Committee.
From The Hill:

The seven Blue Dogs on the Energy and Commerce Committee stormed out of a Friday meeting with their committee chairman, Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), saying Waxman had been negotiating in bad faith over a number of provisions Blue Dogs demanded be changed in the stalled healthcare bill.

“I’ve been lied to,” Blue Dog Coalition Co-Chairman Charlie Melancon (D-La.) said on Friday. “We have not had legitimate negotiations.

“Mr. Waxman has decided to sever discussions with the Blue Dogs who are trying to make this bill work for America,” Melancon said.

Although those Blue Dogs were supposed to be headed back into another meeting of the Energy and Commerce Democrats, their anger was visible.

If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, the only hope for passage of the bill in the House will be to go straight to the floor, an option leaders shied away from endorsing but said was an option.

But the Blue Dogs issued dire warnings to leaders contemplating that approach.

"Waxman simply does not have votes in committee and process should not be bypassed to bring the bill straight to floor,” Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), the lead Blue Dog negotiator, said on Friday. “We are trying to save this bill and trying to save this party.”

Additionally, Blue Dog Democrats are not the only Democrats who would not pass the bill in its current state (if at all), according to Melconian, if the Bill were brought to the floor – there are other “Democrats” who are willing to vote “nay”. The President’s pit-bull, Rham Emanuel may be in for a surprise as he promised NRP that a vote would indeed take place next week. There has been some speculation regarding Emanuel’s powers of persuasion (backhanded tactics), that said, there is little he can promise lawmakers who must face a growing number of angry constituents, to make them change their vote. The worst case scenario is a failure to push this vote through the House, and/or an open revolt among the Democrats, will further damage Obama’s and the Party’s credibility.

What concerns American’s most about Government Run Health Care is not necessary the cost, but, more to the point, the idea that should this plan be similar to Canada’s plan, where the individual enjoys full coverage, but higher taxes as well as long waits for routine health care. It is not uncommon to wait 3 to 6 months for a routine health care visit, longer if one needs tests. As of July 22nd a Rasmussen Poll showed that only 20% of the American Public considers Health Care a priority, while, 53% of American’s polled clearly oppose the Health Care Act now in Congress.
Add that to the Presidents Daily Tracking Polls, which are clearly in a downward spiral, and one can understand what is motivating the Blue Dog and other Democrats from backing away from Universal Health Care.
2010
Understanding that most, if not all, politician’s live by polls, the fact that they see their party losing ground in record time (six months into the Obama administration and 3 years of Democrat control of the Legislature), if they do not move the party clearly to the right, they stand to lose both the House and the Senate in 2010 – Obama is to Incumbent Democrats in 2010 as Bush was to Incumbent Republicans in 2006 and 2008. It would not be surprising therefore, to see those swing states where the Democrats won by narrow margins Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio (5 points and under) in 2008 flipping in 2010.
To read the full text of the HR3200 – go here