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The Spectacle Blog
I've been frustrated by the decision of Republicans to focus their attacks on the Senate health care bill on the fact that it would cut Medicare benefits. As I've noted before, it's philosophically incoherent for Republicans to claim that that they're against government-run health care while they sanctimoniously try to protect a massive existing government health care program from any sort of cuts. Preserving the third rail status of the program will only make it more difficult to cut it down the road to avert an entitlement crisis.
But the GOP strategy is looking even more problematic now that Democrats are talking about ditching the "public option" as currently structured, and replacing it with a plan that would, in part, lower Medicare eligibility age to 55. After spending the first week of debate offering amendment after amendment reinforcing the idea of Medicare as a sacred institution, will Republicans be able to pivot and suddenly argue that those aged 55 to 64 cannot have access to this awesome program? Is the new GOP position that the government should provide individuals with unlimited health care benefits once they reach age 65, but not the option to buy in if they're 55 to 64?
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More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
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Ken (Old Texican)| 12.8.09 @ 5:28PM
Mr. Klein
I'm OK with whatever slows down or stops this communist, (pardon the shorthand), takeover via healthcare.
Pivots are good. Then, down the line, Let's figure out how to contract out Medicare to a really good private insurance company...like New York Life, or John Hancock, or Mass Mutual etc.
bushworlda| 12.8.09 @ 10:35PM
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Dennis D| 12.8.09 @ 11:24PM
GOP wants to protect Medicare for those who have been paying into the system for decades. Expansion will water it down,
Roy| 12.9.09 @ 5:56AM
It's certainly true that to the extent Democrats want to transfer resources from Medicare(which you get for being old) to Medicaid(which you get for being poor) I'm behind that. I'd prefer that people who already paid in should get their benefits, though, and that instead of just taking an ax to programs Obama doesn't like, Medicare were cut by phasing in means testing.
But that wouldn't cost the taxpayers a cent(more than the hillion jillion skillion they are already paying), whereas the Democrats want to charge taxpayers trillions of dollars. Looks like it's not really about "cutting" Medicare.
It would be worth an awful lot to the nation's long term fiscal health to establish that Social Security and Medicare are sheer, raw welfare.
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bluecollarbytes| 12.9.09 @ 9:05AM
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Whatever one thinks of Sarah Palin-the politician/leader/pop culture star, she is the one conservative Republican 'contender' who makes no apologies for standing her conservative ground while acknowledging that the emperor is naked. This is why she's energized so many.
Slowing down our descent into Obama's leftist tyranny is not an answer for what ails us.
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