The Grand Old Party of Grandma Killers
Today during a news conference on deficit talks, the President acknowledged the unsustainability of Medicare and Social Security and expressed support of entitlement reform.
I mean, the vast majority of Democrats on Capitol Hill would prefer not to have to do anything on entitlements; would prefer, frankly, not to have to do anything on some of these debt and deficit problems. And I’m sympathetic to their concerns, because they’re looking after folks who are already hurting and already vulnerable, and there are a lot of families out there and seniors who are dependent on some of these programs.
And what I’ve tried to explain to them is, number one, if you look at the numbers, then Medicare in particular will run out of money and we will not be able to sustain that program no matter how much taxes go up. I mean, it’s not an option for us to just sit by and do nothing.
His words, carefully chosen to portray himself as a sensible centrist, while painting his own Party as a group that simply cares too much about seniors to budge on entitlement reform set the stage for President Obama to later claim that his hands were tied; that he really would have liked to have done something about entitlements, but that he simply couldn't get folks to work together. As we've learned over the past three years, Washington's problems are always someone else's fault, never the President's.
And Democrats do care too much to budge on entitlement reform. However, the object of their concern is not the well being of seniors, but their own electoral survival in 2012.
“We shouldn’t be giving away our advantage on Medicare,” said a Democratic source familiar with Democratic Senatorial Congressional Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray’s private discussions, according to the report. “We should be very careful about giving away the biggest advantage we’ve had as Democrats in some time.”
Contacted by The Daily Caller, Matt Canter, a spokesman for the DSCC, declined to comment on the report, but referenced the Democratic attack line against the GOP, saying, “Voters will know that Republicans are the ones who’ve tried to end Medicare entirely and force seniors to pay an average of $6,000 more out of pocket.”
Sargent also reported that other liberals — including New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Alaska Sen. Mark Begich — have also “privately expressed frustration that deep Medicare cuts risk squandering the major political advantage Democrats have built up on the issue.”
Democratic master strategy in 2012 is to portray the GOP as the party of grandma haters. Fear-mongering seems like such a pathetic, dishonorable strategy, but the sad truth is that it often works. Here's to hoping our seniors see through it.
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Jul '11
Re: The Grand Old Party of Grandma Killers
When Mrs Pailn led her charge against death panels to help win the last election I was aghast. In fact, I expect most seniors to buy the Dem party line about this and feel entitled to what they "deserve" in spite of the 4/1 financial benefit of paid in vs receive due to this ill conceived system know as Medicare.
We have entered Bastiats stage of socialism where everyone is trying to plunder everyone. It is never enough that a law has to be just...oh no....it must be philanthropic.
The end result of such folly can be seen in a 94 year old grandpa who, while in a nursing home and unable to tell Bo Derek from Bo Diddley, falls as they all do at some point. His broken hip is whisked to the hospital where because of his expected erratically firing electrical system he receives a new pacemaker and AICD(defibrillator) following which the latest and greatest artificial hip is installed.
Contrast this to the uninsured 64 year old crying in pain daily and chewing methadone for his gut wrenching hip pain as he waits for the magic age of 65 when its all"free".
Mar '11
Re: The Grand Old Party of Grandma Killers
Diane, you've set your sights too low. Why worry about Grandma's dying when we can starve the children in schools by refusing to feed them school lunches. I mean, really, it is the next generation we're worried about, after all.
Jul '11
Re: The Grand Old Party of Grandma Killers
i get confused at the part where its my responsibility to pay for either
May '10
Re: The Grand Old Party of Grandma Killers
Sadly, swing voters will probably pay more attention to Obama's words than his actions. But Republicans can mitigate the damage by using his own words against him.
Arguments alone won't cut it. Republicans need soundbites and images as well.
Re: The Grand Old Party of Grandma Killers
It's always surprising to me how successful politicians (with help from the media, of course) are at inducing national amnesia in the electorate. Obama trying to convince voters that he's a centrist -- that should be met with hysterical laughter and ridicule. Did he not pass the most radically leftist health care program this country has ever seen just over a year ago? Did he not quadruple spending? Did he not engage in flagrant cronyism with the bailouts? Either I'm really not familiar with the definition of "centrist," or the claim that this president is centrist is completely pathetic and ungrounded.
Apr '11
Re: The Grand Old Party of Grandma Killers
I think President Obama may have slit his own throat. How easily is this going to be rebutted. The Republican candidate can ask why it is that the first people to suffer are those on social security and medicare? He can ask why the President was unwilling to return to budget levels similar to the one in place when he took office? How come senior citizens have to suffer ahead of lazy government bureaucrats and stimulus projects?
I thought this guy was supposed to be smart.
May '11
Re: The Grand Old Party of Grandma Killers
It's amazing how the Democratic Party is willing to run the ship of state aground with their short sighted political strategies, as long as they maintain control of the helm at all points leading up to that disaster. Then again, they probably have convinced themselves ship itself is unsinkable.
May '10
Re: The Grand Old Party of Grandma Killers
Two bits of analysis on the current Debt/Default/SS Checks issue stolen from greater thinkers than I....
- Both the President and Geithner are screaming "Fire" in a crowded economy, "...and they are doing so for political reasons rather than financial reasons."
- "After Decrying Scare Tactics, Obama Embraces Scare Tactics"
Edited on Jul 12, 2011 at 1:50pm