Krauthammer Scolds 'Inside Washington' Host for Calling GOP 'Mediscare' Letter Hypocritical
"Inside Washington" host Gordon Peterson on Friday joined the ranks of liberal media members claiming Republican calls for Democrats to stop saying the GOP is trying to destroy Medicare is hypocritical due to their support for Congressman Paul Ryan's (R-Wisc.) budget proposal.
When he got his chance to address this absurdity, syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer marvelously set the record straight (video follows with transcript and commentary):
GORDON PETERSON, HOST: Okay, the Medicare problem and the debt ceiling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPRESENTATIVE ALAN NUNNELEE (R-MISSISSIPPI): If we follow the traditional model in this town, every side retreats to the four corners of the room and begins to scream at one another. And while we are doing that, the meter is running.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PETERSON: That’s freshman Republican Congressman Alan Nunnelee in a campaign ad last year as he ran against the incumbent Democrat. Nunnelee said, and I quote, "I will honor the greatest generation by always protecting Social Security and Medicare." Then he came to Washington, he was confronted by political reality. He is one of 42 House Republican freshmen who wrote a letter to President Obama this week urging him to get the Democrats to abandon "Mediscare” tactics. Evan, can you say something to this Congressman to ease his pain?
(Laughter from NPR’s Nina Totenberg.)
That was how Peterson began this segment. Moments later, he brought Krauthammer into the discussion:
PETERSON: Well, Steny Hoyer, House Minority Whip, Democrat of course, says Republican freshmen appear to be abandoning their support for Medicare overhaul. Is that true Charles?
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: It is, but I just want to make…
PETERSON: It is true?
KRAUTHAMMER: I just want to make a comment on what this is our weekly Republican hypocrisy segment about that Congressman. He’s perfectly consistent to say he ran to preserve Medicare and Social Security and that he is adopting the Ryan approach, the Ryan plan, because that is the only way we’re going to have Social Security or Medicare in the future. If Democrats are going to argue that staying with the current system is a way to preserve it, that’s completely ridiculous. Everybody who looks at any of the numbers knows. It have to be, both of them have to be changed in a fundamental way.
Now, let's return to Steny Hoyer. I’m sorry. I was distracted and I may, I mean, with the Republican hypocrisy segment.
Indeed.
It was announced Friday that Medicare will go bankrupt in 2024; Social Security - 2036. The Washington Times reported Friday that Social Security will now run a deficit every year until then.
With this in mind, doing nothing to reform these programs assures their doom.
Contrary to what the pathetically liberal and mathematically-challenged press have been saying since Ryan's budget was first proposed, it does not kill Medicare. It instead preserves it by making it more financially viable in the future.
With this mind, Republicans that ran on saving Medicare in 2010 who now support the Ryan plan are indeed keeping their campaign pledges.
Unfortunately, you could talk to you're blue in the face trying to make this point to liberals like Peterson and Totenberg and you'd get nowhere.
I'm not sure how Charles does it every week.
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Comments
It Is Beyond Stupidity
Submitted by Bourbeau on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 12:35pm.
When programs such as Inside Washington allow their pariticipants to spew nonsense that defies credulity. One has to wonder what the paritcipants are thinking to themselves when they revisit their never yielding stupidity on saving these two programs. You would think after countless goverment reports, not to mention the numbers of learned goverment and non-goverment experts who have reinforced the financial forecasts for each, everyone would embrace changes that would save the programs, versus, their endless attacks on the messenger. Paul Ryan, with good conscience and good intentions placed a program on the table to start the conversation; that's all he did. He never suggested it would be the program, or the only program to be considered. Yet, regardless of his good intentions, he's been skewered shamelessly by those in Washington, none of whom had the decency to present their own ideas for change, but rather add only their negative thoughts to those that dare speak-out. Good job insiders; another outstanding example why the country would be better off if we moved our capitol to a more appropriate venue to facilitate more grown-up discussion; someplace like the Mojave Desert.
well stated
Submitted by Paarl on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 1:27pm.
paarl
And the....
Submitted by saintknowitall on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 12:48pm.
..... comments about the pending bankruptcy of the two programs received how much discussion on this program?
It is amazing that supporting the status quo is somehow going to "save" the programs.
"Well Thor, I realize that paper is putting your stone carving company out of business, but maybe if you just keep carving stone, everything will be OK."
Credulity...
Submitted by shooter on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 1:19pm.
To admit otherwise, liberals would be admitting failure of their vaunted Marxist/Communist/Socialist agenda.
They simply cannot admit it, even though that is the only real option.
Shooter
_________________________________________
"An armed society is a polite society" -- Robert A. Heinlein
Medicare - SS reform talk during Bush years were met
Submitted by Gary Hall on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 1:32pm.
Medicare - SS reform talk during Bush years were consistently met with the MSM loading up with their Krugman/Reich/Baker's and clones spinning their cause to show that SS and Medicare will be fine (a lot of fuzzy math was used).
Along the way, they somehow had somehow conveniently misplaced the fact that during the 90's, Clinton/Gore had several national road shows warning about the financial crisis facing SS and Medicare. It was rather popular talk with the MSM. But as soon as Bush repeated the same speech - it got labeled as wrong, and as selling unnecessary fear.
On SS reform, President Bush teamed had the endorsement of the late Sen. Patrick Moynihan, (D) it didn't even help Bush's case with the national MSM. Their game was attack, attack - discredit, discredit. A note from the co-chairs of the Bush SS Reform Commission:
Remember all the good feelings from the press over that? Didn't think so.
During the Bush years, Bush - a Republican - signed into law significant Medicare reforms. The one which should have endeared him to liberals (inc. the MSM) is the very "progressive" means-tested premium for Medicare Part B (Physician services, etc). (For the record - I've never ever seen this mentioned in the media.. good news (from the MSM's POV) when it relates to Republicans will not be allowed in the news), other than their initial want to dismiss it as unnecessary, and a horrible trick to play on seniors.
Oh, those finicky folks on the left - making wealthier folks pay more, is good, only when it's done by liberals.
Prior to the reform, everyone paid the same premium for Part B. For 2011, there are 5 income brackets. Briefly (for individuals filers), those earning under $85,000/yr pay a premium of $96/mo. Those earning above $213,000/yr, pay a premium of $308/mo - over 3 X's more.
I've not been surprised, in the past few years to find journalists who write about health care and insurance and Medicare issues - and reform - were unaware of this. Color me un-surprised. Must be because they read their own newspaper.
(;~/ gary
Thanks Gary
Submitted by Boil It Down on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 2:10pm.
I appreciate the history. It is unfortunate for us that the politicians can't do as well in countering the leftist attacks. -bidn-
It is really unfair to pit
Submitted by d1carter on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 1:46pm.
It is really unfair to pit Dr. K against only three or four wild eyed liberal/Marxist LSM members. He destroys them every time. They need more people or a better game.
As usual ...
Submitted by Par for the Course on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 3:23pm.
As usual, the Democrats say there's time to respond.
Medicare, Social Security Funds Expiring Sooner, U.S. Says
May 13, 2011
[...]
Democrats, who have resisted changes to Social Security, said the trustees’ analysis shows there’s time to respond.
“The current situation does not necessitate rushed or severe action,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana. “We must continue to protect the Social Security benefits our seniors count on.”
[...]
Some action needs to be taken, given the circumstances. And if not now, when?
[...]
Medicare, to stay solvent for the next 75 years, would have to immediately raise payroll taxes by 24 percent, or cut current benefit payments by 17 percent, Cori Uccello, a senior health fellow with the American Academy of Actuaries in Washington, said in a phone interview.
The longer the U.S. waits to address the coming shortages in Medicare and Social Security, the more painful it may be, said Uccello. A U.S. delay in extending Medicare’s fiscal life may force cuts for current beneficiaries rather than diminishing them for people who enter the program several years from now.
Maybe Baucus wants to wait until the Democrats have a majority in the House and a filibuster proof Senate again, call it a crisis and "deem" and pass a "reform" bill on their own.
Yet Obama spent his first 2 years saying everything was a crisis
Submitted by lsudolemite on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 5:52pm.
that had to be dealt with immediately, no time for discussion or debate. Health care had to be overhauled completely, RIGHT NOW, right this second with no criticism or dissent. The stimulus absolutely had to happen RIGHT NOW or else we would be hurtling toward a second Great Depression. Don't stop to think, just do it right now.
But SS and Medicare going completely bankrupt in the next 20 years? Why, we have all the time in the world now.
Don't you know we can fix
Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 7:18pm.
Don't you know we can fix Medicare and Social Security by increasing taxes on the wealthy?
No cuts needed.....
Right, MB,
Submitted by UpNorth on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 7:33pm.
and by letting in 20 million illegals, which can only further strain SS and Medicare, the situation will only improve. At least according to liberals and their calculations.
It's All Liberals Know
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 8:01pm.
Demagoguery and fear mongering at its finest.
================================
The Leftway: Shared Sacrifice
The Rightway: Shared Prosperity
================================
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html
No matter what the GOP says
Submitted by jessieH on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 11:27am.
No matter what the GOP says or does, the liberal, socialist, Democrats will try to mock it. They invoke the names of Democrats like they are gods, yet never realize the same Democrats have been around forever. Why haven't these lifelong polititians been hung for causing the mess? Democrats were behind the KKK. Democrats were behind raising the debt ceiling. Oh, and let't not forget that Congress controls spending. Now, who was in charge of Congress for years? How much debt have they racked up? What have they done to fix the mess? NOTHING! Nothing but obamacare & cash for clunkers.
What Would It Take?
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 5:26pm.
The only way to make the media more liberal would be if there were no conservative voices at all.
================================
The Leftway: Shared Sacrifice
The Rightway: Shared Prosperity
================================
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html