Debbie Wasserman-Schultz: This Republican Plan To Reduce Spending On Medicare Is Cruel and Heartless, Unlike Our Own Reduction of Medicare By $500 Billion

There's a key difference here, too: That $500 billion came out of seniors' hides in order to fund a completely different group. That is, no benefit at all to seniors. Except to the extent they can feel good about paying for some stranger's health care.

The program became more unsustainable -- that's what happens when you already have a dramatically-underfunded program and take away $500 billion.

The Ryan plan, while it does include the element of those 55 or younger now having to pay for more of their care when they retire in 10-65 years, also does something for that group: It actually makes it sustainable. That is, it won't suddenly go bankrupt and leave people with no health care.

So the Ryan Plan takes a bit from those 55 or younger (and not current seniors, nor near-retirement folks) but gives them something in return: a system that will actually be in place and functioning as promised when they need it. Plus -- a government that won't collapse, generally. Which is nice.

Obama, on the other hand, took a half a trillion dollars from seniors to give it to other people, the young and poor. Now, I don't have anything against the young or poor (well, the young, honestly), but you can't pretend that seniors got something out of that exchange. It was all pain, no gain.

Remember how Obama used to promise that simply taking money out of the system would "bend the curve"? You know what he meant? That if we take money away on the supply side it would force prices lower because people simply would not have as much money to pay for health care.

So... when Obama did that, that was Good and Right, but if Ryan wants to make sure that no senior suddenly has the plug pulled on him because the system collapsed (as it must -- it is a mathematical certainty), then it's trying to kill old people?

Obama's theft of a half a trillion from them for no tangible benefit -- except they get some death panels out of the deal; that's pretty good I guess -- was good for seniors and Ryan's attempt to fix the structure so it continues to exist is bad for them?

Only in liberal-land. Only in liberal-land.

Here's a video of Rush Limbaugh talking this point up.

Another thing we have to add into our lexicon and repeat endlessly: Obama stole $500 billion from seniors' Medicare jut a year and a half ago.

posted by Ace at 04:36 PM

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