Krugman: The Threat Within (will the Dems help kill medicare?)

[mod mom]

Josh Marshall, rightly, goes ballistic over the lameness of a supposed Democratic advocate in challenging Ryan’s plan.

-snip

In many ways, this fight resembles the 2005 fight over Social Security. Once again, we have a bait and switch, an attempt to destroy a pillar of American society in the name of saving it. And then, too, you had Democrats who were obviously itching to run up the white flag.

The difference now is that Democrats hold the White House. And that may prove to be their undoing.

-snip

The great danger now is that Obama — with the help of a fair number of Senate Democrats — will kill Medicare in the name of civility and outreach.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/the-threat-within/

HERE"S JOSH:

Deep Breath, Keep It Simple
Josh Marshall | April 5, 2011, 10:09AM


Medicare is such a popular program and people are so against abolishing it that you have to really work hard to flub the debate and obscure what its enemies are trying to do to actually let it get abolished if you're trying to save it. But congressional Democrats and the White House do seem to be giving it the old college try.

So here goes. What the Republicans are proposing are not cuts. Some level of cuts and/or cost containment in Medicare are necessary because medical inflation is growing so quickly. But these aren't cuts. They're using a temporary budget crisis and the need to slow the rate of Medicare costs over long run simply to abolish the program. That's a bait and switch. It's the medical side equivalent of the "private accounts" bamboozle that President Bush used in 2005 to try to phase out Social Security.

Medicare is a federally-backed health insurance program for seniors. Why seniors? Because seniors as a group are just too sick for the private health care insurance sector to adequately provide coverage for. To rein in costs you can reduce benefits that the program provides or place more cost containment measures in place. Real pain is involved in both. But that's a legitimate area for debate. Medicare is a long term budget problem, unlike Social Security which isn't.

Or you can decide just to abolish the program altogether. Just eliminate Medicare in its entirety. This is what Rep. Ryan (R-WI) calls "fixing" Medicare, i.e., getting rid of it. Getting rid of it means abolishing the program and pushing seniors back into the private health insurance system and providing a subsidy to help pay the costs of your average 75 year old's health care. If costs go up? Well, start saving now.

-snip
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/04/deep_breath_keep_it_simple.php#more?ref=fpblg

[mod mom]

1. Josh calls strategist Steve McMahon comments "truly pathetic"

Why on earth did the Democrat speaking for the Democrats just now on Hardball say it was "courageous" but "politically stupid" for Paul Ryan to put up a plan to abolish Medicare and other federal social programs? That's the best he can do? "Courageous"? That's simply amazing. If ordinary people who look forward to being able to rely on Medicare once they retire can't even get advocates who don't think it's "courageous" to try to abolish Medicare, why are Democrats even in this game?

You can respect people's contrary opinions. But presumably it's wrong to abolish Medicare because it's wrong. And that Dems are the party who believes it's wrong.

It's a separate matter that so many people are creating this cult about Paul Ryan that he's some sort of visionary leader when he's just putting forward policies that the right of the GOP has been advocating for decades. But really, even the Democrats think that this is "courageous"? I guess in a way it was courageous for the Delaware GOP to run Christine O'Donnell.


Has this guy even understood what the policy is? How courageous would it be to abolish Social Security. Sometimes things are politically risky because they're profoundly bad ideas.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/04/truly_pathetic_1.php?ref=fpblg

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. Seniors don't put up with this shit. THEY will be in the streets fighting for Medicare.

If the GOP/Teabaggers/fucking mealy-mouthed Democrats think attacking UNIONS was bad...just mess with the Senior citizens of this country and see what you get. They know how to fight these SOBs and WILL.

Bastards. :grr:

[mod mom]

4. They already started attacking AARP:

AARP Conflicts Alleged in GOP Attack
By PHILIP MOELLER
Posted: April 1, 2011

AARP, the 37-million-member voice of older Americans, is being hammered by Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee. In a report, "Behind the Veil: The AARP America Doesn't Know," Reps. Wally Herger of California, Charles Boustany of Louisiana, and Dave Reichert of Washington claim the organization has become a billion-dollar, for-profit entity whose lobbying efforts have placed its insurance interests above those of its public members.



As such, the report calls upon the IRS to investigate whether AARP should retain its nonprofit status, which exempts nearly all of its operations from federal income taxes.

AARP denies that it has placed commercial interests above concerns for its members. It characterizes the report as old news that has been warmed over and distorted to attack the group and the national health reform law, which it strongly supported. Democratic House Ways and Means members said the report was a "witch hunt" to punish health reform supporters and to weaken opposition to Republican efforts to privatize Medicare and Social Security.

The growth of AARP's insurance business, particularly royalties from AARP-branded health insurance policies sold to Medicare recipients, has been occurring for many years. Working with UnitedHealth Group and other selected insurers, AARP has endorsed certain policies and branded them with the AARP name. It says it does not engage in insurance underwriting activities or employ insurance agents.

-snip
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/the-best-life/2011/04/01/aarp-conflicts-alleged-in-gop-attack

It's a coordinated effort to get rid of groups that can organize to fight the GOP (unions, students (through voter IDS laws, now AARP)

[n2doc]

6. Except they are exempt from change under this plan

Only affects those 55 and younger. Divide and Conquer...

[iwishiwas]

3. Dems will help demolish Medicare, I am sure of that.

[Bandit]

5. If Obama says shit, I am afraid there are far too many that can't squat quick enough.

Whatever Obama wants to give away will be accepted by all too many "Democrats" I'm afraid..

[FiveGoodMen]

7. You got that right!

(sadly)