McConnell: Ryan Medicare plan 'on the table'

[bloomington-lib]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON – The top Republican in the Senate said Sunday that a controversial House Medicare plan is "on the table" as President Barack Obama and his GOP rivals wrestle over budget cuts to enact this summer.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on NBC's "Meet The Press" that he supports the controversial plan by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to transform Medicare into a voucher-like system in which future beneficiaries — those 54 and younger — would get subsidies to buy health insurance rather than have the government directly pay their doctor and hospital bills.

Asked whether he would concede that the Ryan Medicare plan won't be part of any budget deal this year, McConnell said: "No. It's on the table."

McConnell was referring to budget talks led by Vice President Joe Biden and senior lawmakers in both parties over what spending cuts to add to must-pass legislation to allow the government to continue to borrow to fund federal programs and prevent a market-rattling, first-ever default on U.S. bonds

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110529/ap_on_re_us/us_budget_medicare?bcmt=71463328#mwpphu-comment-71461297

[ananda]

1. Let's call it the Ryan "put seniors on the morgue table" plan.

nt

[Zambero]

2. They see it as a "starting point" for negotiations

Hopefully Democrats won't buy into it. Republicans will be negotiating from a postion of weakness, if not political toxicity. Let them twist in the wind with this proposal, and let the public know whare they stand, if they insist on doing so. But DO NOT meet them half way, or even part way on the privitization / voucher issue. Revenue shortfalls need to be addressed by revisiting the tax structure that contributed to them. Polls show 80% support for increasing the top tax rate, and Republicans still have not yet backed off a further 10% reduction from the "temporary" Bush tax cut extension. 98% of citizens should not be sacrificed for yet another upward transfer of wealth to the richest 2%. And Democrats should be held accountable -- do NOT get wobbly kneed and give away the farm -- not this time!

[xchrom]

3. well either it is or isn't, i suppose.

we control the senate & the whitehouse, so i don't see why it should be.

[williesgirl]

4. I hope Dems say "no" to negotiations that involve that fucking plan. Let them vote it in and Pres.

Obama can veto it. They'll all be on record that way and no way can they override his veto.

[SusanaMontana41]

14. I like that strategy! n/t

[MilesColtrane]

5. Extortion

"Agree to destroy Medicare, or we'll burn down the national and global economy by defaulting."

Fuck those criminal greedheads.

[Iliyah]

8. Not on the table

he's lying like the rest of his conrads. When do they ever tell the truth?????

[cstanleytech]

32. I bet its on the table really

but on "whos" table is the real question but hey if the republicans want to continue to commit sepaku I think we should fully support them in their endeavor :)

[SoapBox]

6. Dems/Progressives/Libs need to label this as "RyanCare" and make it STICK like glue to the Thugs...

Death Panel.

Seniors better get seriously scared...and, when you are scared enough, better start voting the Thugs and Haters OUT.

p.s...saw some of ChinLessMitch on the TV machine this morning...he makes me sick with his lies.

[Moostache]

12. I am 40. This is 100% a death panel for me when/if I retire...ever.

I am a cancer survivor with 3 years cancer-free. I lost a portion of my right kidney to the disease and am living on borrowed time in the long run. The disease is in remission and not detectable at the moment, but it is never really 100% gone from my mind.

My mother is currently in her 8th year of fighting cancer.
My maternal grandmother died of cancer, and about 50% of my family have a history of cancer.

Once I am no longer employed and on a group plan supplied by my employer I am uninsurable - no matter how many fucking vouchers are made available.
I cannot buy insurance at that point even if I want it at any price. They refuse to acknowledge this. Their "plan" is to ignore people like me and tell fables to everyone else about "freeloaders" and people who won't "plan ahead" and people who "won't take responsibility for their lives".

FUCK THEM! FUCK THEM! FUCK THEM 1000 TIMES WITH AN INVASIVE OBJECT NOT MEANT TO BE USED...

I want Paul Ryan and his Ayn Randian henchmen and cohorts to come to my home, look into the eyes of my 5 children and explain to them that he wants to make absolutely sure their father dies pre-maturely and in utter destitution and pain as he is literally eaten alive from the inside out. This is going to happen and it is going to be Paul Ryan's fault and I intend to make him FEEL that everyday once his abomination of a proposal becomes corporatist American "law".

I warn ANY Democrat that evens gives 1 second of support to this abomination that I will not only oppose you in the future, I will actively campaign against you and seek to have you run out of the national party. This issues is literally life and death to me and if you want to make sure you have a motivated enemy just play ball with those bomb-throwing, hostage-taking assholes of Corporate America's preferred party and reap the whirlwind.

[coalition_unwilling]

19. Bravo! I will be at your side. - n/t

[RBInMaine]

18. No. Call it VOUCHER-CARE. A much better frame. Then glue THAT to them.

[wordpix]

39. unfortunately, many Americans don't know what a voucher is

so giving it that moniker would mean nothing to them

[BR_Parkway]

38. No, it's not just "some guy" Ryan - it's the Republican plan and has been

a desire of theirs to do away with for decades. Calling it by one guy's name lets the party off the hook and makes it easier for the masses to dismiss it as some crackpot (sorta like Ron Paul)

It needs to be branded to the skull of every voter that doing away with SS and Medicare is exactly what Republicans want and will vote for if they're ever allowed back into office again

[wordpix]

42. +1

[alfredo]

7. McConnell's philosophy

As long as there's a penny in a poor man's pocket, that's a penny too much.

[eagertolearn]

9. !!!!!!!@#$$%&%¥™®© I don't want f!!#@#$$% health insurance...I want health care.

This is the craziest idea. I'm a nurse and my husband is a doctor. We have to go to a single payer system where all the money you pay for health insurance actually goes to health care and also prevention. How many of you are almost 54 and have paid health insurance your whole life. Well guess what....? You may lose your job or change to a job that doesn't cover insurance. That insurance company you paid into your whole working career gets to keep all your $ and now you have to pay into a high risk pool sometimes up to $20,000 a year because of your age(even if you are healthy). Plus that is high deductable so you still pay mostly out of pocket. There goes any retirement you saved. You'll lose your house....... I hope all of you backing the republicans plan have lots of savings.

[SoapBox]

11. You are so correct...

So the quickie on my situation...

I was looking at losing my health insurance at the end of 2010...and would have been on COBRA for the next 18 months.

Then, at almost age 57 (oh my gawd, I'm old...what the heck happened?!?)...where was I going to find insurance that I could actually afford (yes, with a BP "issue"...but who the dickens isn't going to have some kind of problem at that age?)

Over the last few years, it's shocking what changed and how difficult it has become for persons to get insurance, before Medicare age.

Yes...single payer. Americans...human beings...should not be held hostage, to live OR die, so that big insurance and pharma, can reap billions in profit.

Wake up America...Say NO to RyanCare.

Oh yes, I've officially "returned" to my employer so have kept my insurance (health, dental and life). Now, if I can just work until Medicare kicks in, then I'll retire and get the hell out of there!

[Moostache]

13. Its not "RyanCare" it is actually "RyanKill". (n/t)

[SoapBox]

16. LOLOLOL - Funny!

...that, may indeed be a better name for it.

[PuffedMica]

10. McConnell is not to be trusted

Sure, he would make a big show of gutting the Ryan plan, while the Republicans slip through 75% of the other destructive parts of their budget proposal. The main streem media proclaims a big defeat for the repukes, while they laugh all the way home with most of their legislation passed.

Then the 2013 budget is on the floor for debate and guess what, the Ryan plan will be back under a different name.

[lib2DaBone]

15. If Social Security is an entitlement...then I'm ENTITLED to my money back.

:mad:

[RBInMaine]

17. VOUCHER-CARE VOUCHER-CARE VOUCHER-CARE: The new Republican battle cry. I LOVE IT ! They're doomed.

[SoapBox]

22. hehe...Voucher-Care! I love that one too!

...as long as the Thugs get "Labeled and Stapled" with RyanCare, RyanKill or Voucher-Care...I'm happy!

[izquierdista]

29. COUPON-CARE

A voucher very often pays 100% of the cost, like a voucher for an unexpected hotel stay from an airline. A coupon is for cents off, and usually the price with the coupon is still more than the store brand or generic. Ryan's coupons are going to be more like "buy 3 colonoscopies at full price and get 20% off your fourth one!"

[Jim Lane]

33. I slightly prefer "couponcare" to "vouchercare". Also, in the OP, a misleading phrase....

The Ryan plan wouldn't apply to those 54 and younger. It would apply to those who are NOW 54 and younger. The other phrasing might make some people think that you get the coupons when you turn 55, and then "graduate" to regular Medicare later. We have to make it clear that anyone born after 1956 or so gets totally screwed.

[wordpix]

40. "Medicare-killing Republican plan" ----make it descriptive b/c most people don't get "voucher"

Or coupons for that matter

[sendero]

20. And any congressperson that votes for it.

.... will be off the table soon.

[tomm2thumbs]

21. 'on the slab' I think is the term he is looking for /nt

[larkrake]

23. it isn't "care", it will bring death. Ryan's Death Plan

It kills Medicare, but it kills alot of other things too.

[Aerows]

24. VoucherCare is going to doom Republicans

My parents nearly always vote Republican, but they hate this plan. I intend to point out that they would be voting against their own best interests every chance I get.

My mother didn't know what to say when I pointed out that evangelical Christians love Republicans, but then turn right around and do everything they can to throw the sick, the poor, the old and the young to the wolves. I pretty much told her the Republican party is the "screw you, I've got mine" party - in fact I told her that verbatim.

I think that got through to her.

[alp227]

25. here is senator schumer's interview that was shown after mcconnell's

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/43209179#43209200

[Thumper79]

26. Why don't Democrats come out and say,

"No, Ryan's Medicare is not on the table, McConnell doesn't know what he's talking about?" But they don't do that. It pisses me off the Democrats allow the republicans to do all the messaging and the Democrats remain silent.

[AlbertCat]

27. Why don't Democrats come out and say, "No, Ryan's Medicare is not on the table,

They may have... but you won't hear about it as much as McConnell or the other Repugs on the TV machine.

[SoapBox]

28. ...another new name. The Paul Ryan Death Plan.

...RyanCare

...RyanKill

...Voucher-Care

...The Paul Ryan Death Plan

Any will work for me!

[unkachuck]

30. "...he supports the controversial plan by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan,..."

....did you hear that, Kentucky? Your illustrious Senator, Mitch McConnell, wants to destroy your Medicare benefit, a benefit for which you've worked an entire lifetime. What's next for Mitch McConnell? Destroying our Social Security?

....Kentucky, what are you going to do about this?

[and-justice-for-all]

31. Its not going to survive the senate...

but it will be what I hope another nail in the repuke/teahadist coffin.

[MiniMe]

34. I'm 54 and have pre-existing conditions

I am so fucked by this

[wordpix]

43. this is why we need Medicare for all

The healthy pay into the same system and help to cover the older/infirm.

[LetTimmySmoke]

46. +1

[Viking 1]

35. More like UNDER the table

That's the only way the wingnuts will ever get it through.

[Tracer]

36. I think it was on Rachel's show where I saw a clip of McConnell...

...gassing on about how the Ryan plan would "empower Grandma".

I nearly fell of the chair.

Oh sure! Grandma will just love to struggle to find ANY insurance company that would cover her for the amount of the 'coupon'. Grandpa would have an equally hard time.

Remember the difficulties older people had with choosing among the hundreds of prescription drug plans?

Coupon Care would be a thousand times worse.

[Gin]

37. "it's on the table" ....but...whose/which table? maybe his kitchen table..

shrub said something like that too...

[wordpix]

41. I took over elderly mother's healthcare issues---the system's a mess EXCEPT for Medicare

"couponcare" is a good handle for the repuke plan

[wordpix]

44. Average life expectancy up15 years since Social Security program was implemented

So obviously, our thinking about getting Medicare and its costs up to date has to change. We cannot have "business as usual." When you study the actual numbers, it's clear the system WILL be broke before too long.

That's the main reason we need MEDICARE FOR ALL. That way, the young and healthy pay into a system that cares for everyone, including the old and infirm. The young and healthy will later get their care, too, as they turn old. (I hate to tell you, but it happens to the youngest and most healthy, among us).

http://www.elderweb.com/node/891

snip

Average life expectancy has increased by about 15 years since the Social Security program was implemented in the 1930s. If the eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare had increased along with the average life expectancy, it would have risen from age 65 to age 80 by this time. If people were retiring at that later age, the funding problems for the Social Security and Medicare programs would be eliminated... snip

[LetTimmySmoke]

45. This is an example of sunk cost.

They are throwing good political capital after bad trying to break even by scoring some kind of decisive negotiation victory. All the dems need to do is stand firm, and say that medicare cuts take a last priority to unnecessary defense cuts, tax increases on the wealthy, and eliminating corporate welfare. Question is - are the dems bought out?

[andym]

47. GOP is working hard to make Medicare for None a reality. nt.