Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

  • Shop
  • Subscribe to BMG
  • Contact
  • Log In
  • Front Page
  • All Posts
  • About
  • Rules
  • Events
  • Register on BMG

GOP now in full-fledged retreat from Ryan’s Medicare plan

May 6, 2011 By David 3 Comments

Anyone with half a brain could have seen this coming.  Not long before a major election cycle kicks into high gear, the Republicans propose a plan to gut a federal program that, frankly, a lot of people like.  The people who really like it happen to be older Americans, who also happen to be the ones that show up in large numbers to vote.  And to top it off, the plan is so poorly thought-out, and so obviously a transfer of wealth to the rich (really, Paul, did you have to include more tax cuts for the wealthy in a plan apparently designed to impoverish the middle class?), that even the Democrats, whose inability to undertake effective political messaging is nearly legendary, have been able to pick up the ball and run with it.

Well, surprise surprise.

House Republicans signaled Thursday that they were backing away from the centerpiece of their budget plan — a proposal to overhaul Medicare….

Coupled with remarks by other House Republican leaders, [House Ways & Means Chair Dave Camp]’s statement suggested that the party’s Medicare proposal had been shelved, even though the party’s lawmakers had taken a risky vote to pass the budget in the House just last month, and in the past two weeks had attempted to sell it to constituents in often-stormy town hall meetings….

While [House majority leader Eric] Cantor outlined the House-passed Ryan budget as Republicans’ opening bid in the Blair House negotiations [with the Obama administration], he said little about the Medicare proposals, participants said.

“He didn’t need to talk about it in that room,” said one participant. “Everyone knows it’s dead.”

Hilarious.  And, as I said, totally predictable.  And we may see some of the fallout from the Ryan debacle sooner than 2012.  The NYT today reports on a special election near Buffalo, NY that would normally be an easy win for the GOP, but is turning out to be much closer than expected, due almost entirely to the fact that the more people learn about what the House Republicans voted for in backing Ryan’s plan, the more they hate it.

After leveling a barrage of attacks against the proposal put forth by Mr. Ryan, the Democratic candidate, Kathy Hochul, has tightened the race considerably, even as her Republican opponent remained supportive of the plan, perhaps out of concern that distancing herself from it would alienate conservatives….

[T]he May 24 special election is suddenly shaping up as the first electoral test of the Republican agenda — and of the likely themes in the battle next year between both major parties for control of the House.

“The Republican vote to end Medicare has moved the needle in this race,” said Representative Steve Israel of Long Island, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “The Republican should be running away with this. Instead, she is clinging to a minuscule lead.”

Really, the GOP has put itself in an unbelievably bad position.  House Republicans voted almost unanimously for Ryan’s plan.  Now, belatedly realizing that Americans actually hate this plan, they are backing away.  But of course, it’s too late – they’re on record, and claiming to be against it even though the vote shows they were for it is a tough act to pull off.  Yet now that they are backing off, they can’t vigorously defend their vote.  So they have effectively deprived themselves of any good options going into the 2012 cycle.

Keep an eye on this Buffalo race – it may be an interesting harbinger of things to come.  If the Democratic candidate even comes close in that (once) solid GOP district, that will tell us a lot about effective messaging next year.

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0
0

Filed Under: User

Comments

  1. hoyapaul says

    May 6, 2011 at 12:17 pm

    This puts an end to the narrative, for whatever reason popular among many on the Left, that the Republicans just do politics better than those bungling Democrats.

    What kind of idiots back away from a plan only a few weeks after they forced all of their members to go on the record supporting it? Soon we’ll see individual Republicans publicly criticizing the Republican Medicare Phase-Out bill and trying to wiggle away from their public vote, which will just serve to put even more GOP’ers on the hot seat. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans will blast Democratic efforts to force a vote on the plan that all but a tiny handful of House Republicans voted for!

    Boehner really dropped the ball on this one. Just more proof that Republicans are just as capable as Democrats at totally screwing up the politics.

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recommended Posts

  • There Is Not A Chance the White House is Happy With This Timing (3)
  • Promises made, promises kept (2)
  • Dems reach deal on IRA (1)
  • Great economic news today (1)
  • IRA passes 51- 50! (1)

Recent User Posts

There Is Not A Chance the White House is Happy With This Timing

August 10, 2022 By terrymcginty 4 Comments

Site issue: Unable to reply to comments

August 10, 2022 By SomervilleTom 2 Comments

Why do PUKES oppose $35 insulin for diabetics with private insurance?

August 8, 2022 By fredrichlariccia 3 Comments

Promises made, promises kept

August 8, 2022 By fredrichlariccia Leave a Comment

Schedule F

August 7, 2022 By johntmay 4 Comments

Statement by President Biden on passage of the Inflation Reduction Act

August 7, 2022 By fredrichlariccia 1 Comment

Recent Comments

  • johntmay on There Is Not A Chance the White House is Happy With This TimingI would not be surprised at all to learn that Trump deli…
  • fredrichlariccia on There Is Not A Chance the White House is Happy With This TimingCould it also mean that KARM-A-LAGO might want to divert…
  • johntmay on There Is Not A Chance the White House is Happy With This TimingIt's also amusing to hear Trump supporters blame an insi…
  • fredrichlariccia on There Is Not A Chance the White House is Happy With This Timing"President Biden victories?" You mean, the greatest achi…
  • johntmay on Site issue: Unable to reply to commentstesting 1 2 3 Testing One Two Three
  • johntmay on Site issue: Unable to reply to commentsSeems to be okay now...
  • johntmay on Why do PUKES oppose $35 insulin for diabetics with private insurance?Well, that's sad. Sure, your argument is a slam dunk wit…

Archive

@bluemassgroup on Twitter

#mapoli

repkearney Patrick Kearney @repkearney ·
5m

While Trump and his cronies were undermining democracy, @SenMarkey and @joekennedy were running against each other, and @JakeAuch @jessemermell @BeckyWGrossman were running for Congress @cdempc didn’t vote. Don’t bother voting for someone that doesn’t bother to vote #mapoli

Reply on Twitter 1557786146687557632 Retweet on Twitter 1557786146687557632 Like on Twitter 1557786146687557632 1 Twitter 1557786146687557632
teapartyusa1 Chris Lynch @teapartyusa1 ·
10m

Ask @CharlieBakerMA + Frank Baker why they're ok with interim DA Hayden not charging an off-duty transit cop then changing his mind after @BostonGlobe runs the story.

MA+Boston made a commitment to delivering justice with reforms. Let's do w/ #SuffolkCo DA pick #MaPoli #BosPoli

Chris Lynch @TeaPartyUSA1

@wtfdic_hour @ErinforBoston @AnnissaForBos @RepStephenLynch @DAKevinHayden Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden faces calls to resign amid transit police controversy https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/08/suffolk-da-kevin-hayden-faces-calls-to-resign-amid-transit-police-controversy.html #MaPoli #BosPoli

Reply on Twitter 1557784820138254338 Retweet on Twitter 1557784820138254338 2 Like on Twitter 1557784820138254338 2 Twitter 1557784820138254338
mayordriscoll Kim Driscoll @mayordriscoll ·
13m

Thanks @BrandonLRobbins + the hardworking staff/volunteers at Ginny's Helping Hand for the work you do to close gaps in food security and help fellow neighbors. Working together, we can end hunger in Massachusetts. #mapoli

3

Reply on Twitter 1557784222265393153 Retweet on Twitter 1557784222265393153 Like on Twitter 1557784222265393153 1 Twitter 1557784222265393153
jamieeldridgema Jamie Eldridge @jamieeldridgema ·
14m

Another perspective on #climateaction & #maleg #climatechange bill- yep, that MASSIVE #Massachusetts energy industry of coal, oil & gas! This bill creates #cleanenergy jobs- in #offshorewind & #solar! @CharlieBakerMA be the moderate R you say you are & #SignMAClimateBill #mapoli

Matt Lynch @BraintreeLynch

It was really hot...in summer. We need to destroy our energy industry because the climate...changed.
What a scumbag https://twitter.com/JamieEldridgeMA/status/1557726676393799680

Reply on Twitter 1557783961568436225 Retweet on Twitter 1557783961568436225 1 Like on Twitter 1557783961568436225 1 Twitter 1557783961568436225
spfldworks Springfield WORKS @spfldworks ·
15m

Grateful for @DisruptPoverty. It is time to eliminate cliff effects in MA by getting this pilot off the ground! @EconPathwaysMA @FoodBankWMA @rsullivanWMEDC @WCACinfo
Thank you @EricLesser @Vote4gonzalez, @RepDuffy and co-sponsors for your leadership #mapoli #cliffeffects

Chelsea Sedani @ChelseaSedani

Our system penalizes families for making progress! It’s time to make the cliff effect pilot a reality so we can mitigate #cliffeffects, provide families with mentoring & help them move forward. Grateful to partner with @econpathwaysMA @foodbankWMA @SpfldWORKS #mapoli https://twitter.com/disruptpoverty/status/1557740628691529729

Reply on Twitter 1557783542146469888 Retweet on Twitter 1557783542146469888 Like on Twitter 1557783542146469888 Twitter 1557783542146469888
jamieeldridgema Jamie Eldridge @jamieeldridgema ·
18m

.@StpDV4all I was 4 gay marriage before 2003 SJC decision, helped lead effort for marriage #equality 2003-2007, led Senate effort to pass immigrant human trafficking 2021 law, & again Dangerousness bill had lots of opposition from DV, civil rights & civil liberties groups #mapoli

angry survivor @StpDV4all

The women of #Mass wake up! Please for your daughters and their daughters. Men like ⁦@JamieEldridgeMA⁩ need to be booted out of power. Election in nov. he is against gay marriage and steps on immigrant women backs for his agenda help us ⁦@TDove51

Reply on Twitter 1557782736584286208 Retweet on Twitter 1557782736584286208 Like on Twitter 1557782736584286208 1 Twitter 1557782736584286208
Load More

From our sponsors




Google Calendar







Search

Archives

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter




Copyright © 2022 Owned and operated by BMG Media Empire LLC. Read the terms of use. Some rights reserved.