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Senate Rejects Ryan Budget, Medicare Overhaul

by: Colorado Pols

Wed May 25, 2011 at 16:26:50 PM MDT

With five Republicans joining Democrats in opposition, the Senate easily rejected a House-passed budget plan Wednesday calling for deep cuts in domestic appropriations and major restructuring of Medicare, the government-backed healthcare program for the elderly.
The 57-40 roll call proved more for show than substance but still stung for GOP leaders, coming less than 24 hours after the same Medicare issue figured prominently in the upset of a Republican candidate in a special House election for upstate New York.
In a tell-tale sign of trouble ahead, there were significantly more defections among GOP moderates than in a similar partisan show vote in March testing support then for an earlier House Republican budget initiative focused on discretionary spending cuts. [Pols emphasis]

Colorado Republican Rep. Cory Gardner was defiant regarding the Ryan budget in an earlier Politico story today, but this afternoon's Senate vote is telling in how moderates rejected the Ryan budget across-the-board. There's Gardner's strategic approach to Medicare and the "Ryan budget," and then there's the strategy being employed by Senate moderates -- we can tell you which direction we'd be more comfortable with as an incumbent member of Congress (hint: it ain't Gardner's position).

Colorado Pols :: Senate Rejects Ryan Budget, Medicare Overhaul

Tags: cory gardner, scott tipton, (All Tags)

Senate Rejects Ryan Budget, Medicare Overhaul | 22 comments

And here are the five defectors:

Rand Paul, who doesn't think the cuts go deep enough and four Republicans who see the writing on the wall.

But the big newcomers this time were all moderates: Maine's two Republicans, Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski-all of whom had been loyal in March.

"I wouldn't characterize caloric intake as "professional development." c rork

by: Middle of the Road @ Wed May 25, 2011 at 22:38:33 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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Guess they are unimpressed by Ryan's new strategy

This is pretty cute coming from a member of the Official Fear Mongering Party. The one that only yesterday was trying to scare seniors by telling them Obama wanted to cut their medicare benefits and the GOP would never let that happen. The one that wants us to fear crazed immigrants, all Muslims, a president with a funny name and dark complexion, socialism, etc.

Anyway, Ryan thinks he can turn things around by complaining about how Dems are trying to scare seniors by telling voters that the Ryan plan calls for an end to medicare. Never mind that it does. He calls this sinister Dem tactic "mediscare", Get it?

He gamely puts it out there over and over. Who knows, maybe he got it from Luntz. He thinks it's unfair that Dems are scaring seniors when he specifically promises not to screw today's seniors. He swears he only wants to screw those who have been paying in all their lives and are now in their earlier 50s and younger. Those mean Dems aren't playing fair.

In any case backpedaling Rs don't seem to think it's going to do the trick. Don't think "mediscare" is ever going to get the general usage they managed for "Obamacare". And that's so yesterday's news thanks to the storm they've stirred up with what must now be called simply the Republican Budget Plan, not just the Ryan Budget Plan, since outside of a handful in the Senate, they all voted for it. And I bet those mean Dems will use the unfair scare tactic of reminding voters of that every chance they get. Those fearmongers! Quoting R plans verbatim and pointing out how Rs voted.

by: BlueCat @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 01:16:17 AM UTC

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"Mediscare"? Really?

He should give up the whole governing thing and get a job writing chyrons for Faux Nooz.

Terrorists, children and the GOP do not negotiate in good faith.
by: WitnessProtectionForGeeks @ Tue Jul 19, 2011 at 10:18:53 AM MDT

by: TobiasFunke @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 15:30:11 PM UTC

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That's a legitimate,

focus-group tested, Frank Luntz power word. All republicans are required to use it.

This is serious, you commie dolt --davebarnes, 2012.

by: Ralphie @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 15:46:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I don't know

I think " mediscare " actually helps. With Paul Ryan at the helm you have a right to be scared.

" I will always put Colorado families before the Washington special interests"

Cory Gardner (R-O&G)

by: Fidel's dirt nap @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 16:25:49 PM UTC

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And while "Obamacare" refers to a program (noun)

and evyone knows what it refers to it's harder to use "mediscare" in a coherent sentence because it refers to an action (verb). The Dems are mediscaring us? The Dems are using mediscare? Kind of awkward and maybe requires a little explanation. Maybe not from Luntz after all.

by: BlueCat @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 16:50:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You mean like, "war on terror"?

If there's one thing Republican voters will never tolerate, it's poor grammar (excessive melanin, gays, sensibe public health care, Muslim Presidents, and flag burning all follow closely behind.)

Don't believe everything you think.
"Hes been stomping on him own dick." -- a leading conservative sage

by: Diogenesdemar @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 19:04:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I agree with Ralphie that over confidence is never a good thing.

That being said, bwahahahaha! I wish the vote had happened next year, but I'm still a bit gleeful over here.

ColoradoPols - A nice place where a slur is more offensive than the needless and random politicization of a minor's rape.

by: droll @ Wed May 25, 2011 at 22:40:06 PM UTC

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I love it that Scott Brown was supposed to be the

Teapers dream candidate when he ran and now he's turned out to be kinda moderate. By Repub standards anyway.

A proud "special liberal" since 2008.

by: marindenver @ Wed May 25, 2011 at 22:56:19 PM UTC

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Scott Brown turned out ...

to be a poll watching, do anything to get reelected, kind of guy. Whattayagonnado?

by: MADCO @ Wed May 25, 2011 at 23:49:29 PM UTC

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Maybe he noticed what state he's representing

by: BlueCat @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 00:49:34 AM UTC

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Funny how it was "sign" when he was elected, but anything moderate he does is... certainly not a reflection of the party!

ColoradoPols - A nice place where a slur is more offensive than the needless and random politicization of a minor's rape.

by: droll @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 14:10:15 PM UTC

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Bah

Short term scare tactics and New England RINOs do not a panic make.

"This was a dumb, dumb move by the Dems" - Aristotle

by: ArapaGOP @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 03:28:43 AM UTC

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NY isn't New England

But then again, news that ArapaGOP is ignorant is the "dog bites man" variety all the way.

Will ArapaGOP rescind his factually incorrect assertion regarding Rep. Coram and his son?

by: Aristotle @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 03:59:58 AM UTC

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Just love it when

Rs complain about scare tactics. And maybe you should have done a little research on the district before making such a ridiculous statement about New England RINOs? Huh?

by: BlueCat @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 05:27:16 AM UTC

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when Rs complain about scare tactics.

You'd almost think they had functioning amygdalae! It's so cute when they pretend.

A leader on the battlefield can be a leader in Congress. -- redstateblues

by: RedGreen @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 17:09:11 PM UTC

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Awesome politcal metaphor

From the New York Times on the Hochul win and forcing the senators o go on record.

But Democrats, hopeful that the Medicare fight is a path to a political turnabout, are clinging to the recent developments like koalas to eucalyptus trees

A woman's health decisions are a private matter between her priest and her husband.

by: DaftPunk @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 03:33:14 AM UTC

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Oops!

That was a simile.

A woman's health decisions are a private matter between her priest and her husband.

by: DaftPunk @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 17:18:46 PM UTC

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Fixing Medicare by adding $250 Billion in extra costs?

So the Ryan plan to eliminate Medicare is to take away a program with under 5% administration costs and replace it with one with over 15% admin costs.

And, what do all those admins do?

To maximize profits in health insurance, you need to eliminate the expensive clients and keep the healthy ones. So the entire goal here is to reduce health care for the elderly.

You think it doesn't work that way?

Have you ever had a "conversation" about denied service with your insurance company?

by: MetaData @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 15:26:17 PM UTC

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well, yeah

If you don't insure the sick Medicare is a much more efficient program.

" I will always put Colorado families before the Washington special interests"

Cory Gardner (R-O&G)

by: Fidel's dirt nap @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 16:28:37 PM UTC

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It's just a way to disguise dismantling it

What do you expect out of a political party that insists government can't do anything well and shouldn't do anything other than fight lots of wars, stand guard over a woman's private parts, promote Christianity, and pay off corporate fat cats?

"There's a Romney Rule. The Romney Rule says, let's double down on the tax cuts for the wealthy." -- VP Joe Biden

by: Phoenix Rising @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 16:32:16 PM UTC

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But you're forgetting the coupon

Old people on modest fixed incomes love coupons. Although the kind they like is more like buy one meal get one free at Applebees. This is more like get a third off on a loaded BMW. Enjoy!

by: BlueCat @ Thu May 26, 2011 at 18:10:54 PM UTC

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Senate Rejects Ryan Budget, Medicare Overhaul | 22 comments