Chuck Schumer Gives Newt Gingrich A Medicare Death Hug
Brian Beutler | May 18, 2011, 11:41AM
Democrats couldn't be more thrilled to see the Republican party turn on Newt Gingrich. And they're capitalizing on it, politically.
In a conference call with reporters Wednesday morning, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) gave Gingrich a giant bear hug, saying he agreed with Gingrich's critique of the House Republican plan to privatize Medicare and warning Republicans that rejecting Gingrich locks them into a politically disastrous position.
"Newt and I are considered political opposites," Schumer said, "but I couldn't agree more with what he said Sunday about the House Republican proposal to end Medicare.... In a straight shooting way he acknowledged that this is right-wing social engineering."
That gives Republicans -- particularly other presidential hopefuls, and members of the Senate who will soon have to vote on the Medicare plan -- a stark choice: Side with Gingrich (and now Schumer) on the wisdom of the GOP Medicare plan, or back the proposal.
<SNIP>
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/chuck-schumer-gives-newt-gingrich-a-medicare-death-hug.php