“Voters can no longer believe anything they say”

[Pema_Jampa]

“Voters can no longer believe anything they say” (NYTimes on Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan)

____ Republican attacks on President Obama’s plans for Medicare are growing more heated and inaccurate by the day. Both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan made statements last week implying that the Affordable Care Act would eviscerate Medicare when in fact the law should shore up the program’s finances. 

Both men have also twisted themselves into knots to distance themselves from previous positions, so that voters can no longer believe anything they say. Last week, both insisted that they would save Medicare by pumping a huge amount of money into the program, a bizarre turnaround for supposed fiscal conservatives out to rein in federal spending. 

The likelihood that they would stand by that irresponsible pledge after the election is close to zero. And the likelihood that they would be better able than Democrats to preserve Medicare for the future (through a risky voucher system that may not work well for many beneficiaries) is not much better. THE ALLEGED “RAID ON MEDICARE” A Republican attack ad says that the reform law has “cut” $716 billion from Medicare, with the money used to expand coverage to low- 
income people who are currently uninsured. “So now the money you paid for your guaranteed health care is going to a massive new government program that’s not for you,” the ad warns. 

What the Republicans fail to say is that the budget resolutions crafted by Paul Ryan and approved by the Republican-controlled House retained virtually the same cut in Medicare. 

In reality, the $716 billion is not a “cut” in benefits but rather the savings in costs that the Congressional Budget Office projects over the next decade from wholly reasonable provisions in the reform law . . . 


read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/opinion/sunday/truth-and-lies-about-medicare.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print 

 

[momof31995]

Yet they can believe everything BO says...Pfffft he has done nothing but lie since he took office as a senator.

[29again]

Wait, what's Obama's plan to save Medicare?  Oh, right, take $716 Billion away from it to fund Obamacare. Yep, sounds like a plan that will definitely work to me.    

Yeah, I think I'll stick with the guys that have a REAL plan.

[4kidz916]

When will people realize you can't believe anything ANY politician says?  Obama's team is no better and has told numerous lies. 

[itsmesteph11]

 Hysterical  lies.   Who said this?  The author of the story.    Certainly not the voters. Have not heard it uttered.  It's the WhiteHouse and liberals we cannot believe (if you ever did).

Wow, smacks of desperation.

[Friday]

I agree but I don't think we can really trust anyone in DC. I saw Romney's BS ad about Obama 'gutting welfare work requirements' on the news this am.

It's all bullshit.

[Xlandria]

For what it's worth, perhaps it can be said that technically he didn't gut the Welfare plan, but what he did do is end it on the federal level, giving it to the states. This knowing full well that most states don't have the money to absorb this right now. So, yea, he kinda did. IMO