Rep. Paul Ryan re-introducing his path to a difficult reelection campaign for a lot of Republicans.(Jose Luis Magaua/Reuters) Rep. Paul Ryan's budget and his kinder, gentler approach to ending Medicare as we know it is no more popular in 2012 than it was in 2011. Which is a problem for House Republicans who voted for it and are now running for reelection. Consider Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY-25) and the convolutions she had in explaining the Medicare vote she took at a town meeting.
'What's proposed, and I say that'proposed, not the law'is that those who are 54 and younger would have a different Medicare plan,' she said. 'It would look different than it looks now. But for those who are 55 years and above, Medicare remains the same. I again go back to this ' there are no cuts for those who are on Medicare.'Her defenses, in order: 1) it's not law! We all voted for it but that doesn't mean we actually want it to be law; 2) we're not going to take Medicare away from you, just your children and grandchildren; and 3) the Senate will never pass it anyway, so this really isn't a real issue to be scared of, and you shouldn't blame me for voting to end Medicare as we know it because, even though I voted for it, it's not going to happen and isn't that a relief. Oh, and yeah, look over there! Obamacare! Scary!Buerkle urged the mostly older voters in the audience not to fear the GOP plan, especially, she said, because the Democratic-controlled Senate will never pass it. Instead, she urged her constituents to be afraid of President Obama's health-care law, which she called an 'imminent threat' and 'our biggest challenge,' because it would cut Medicare funding, slash money given to local hospitals and allow unelected government officials to make health-care decisions.
Compelling stuff. Nonetheless, it's what the Republicans have chosen, again, to run on for 2012. So it would be a really good time for Democrats to make a campaign pledge of no benefit cuts to Medicare, or Social Security.
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