Bill Clinton comes to Ryan’s defense: Democrats must offer a plan on Medicare
I must say, when i heard this last night i was a bit shocked and pleased. Paul Ryan has been taking a beating in the press after Democrats won in NY 26 using Mediscare tactics. But Clinton, with nothing to gain, told Democrats yesterday to stop the victory dance and recognize Medicare is in real trouble. Video below the fold.
First, Clinton does not endorse the Ryan plan, but he gives Ryan credit for going after the problem. Medicare will be broke by 2024 and Obamacare pretty much ends Medicare as we know it as well. His fear my guess … the numbers for Medicare are so overwhelming that the Democrats may have won the battle but Republicans will eventually win the war. Here he is at an American Leadership and Prosperity conference in DC yesterday.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_TwOh6SCjg
So what’s the deal? AP at Hot Air has this take:
Could be that he’s earnestly concerned about the Medicare time bomb and appreciates Ryan’s leadership on it. Remember, before Erskine Bowles was co-chair of the Deficit Commission, he was Clinton’s White House chief of staff. Or it could be that Clinton’s worried about Democrats being perceived as debt do-nothings even though the public, for the moment at least, is with them on the specific issue of Medicare. As we saw earlier today, the more the GOP can drive home to voters that preserving the program as-is necessarily means raising the debt ceiling again and again, the more potentially vulnerable Democrats are. Or maybe Clinton doesn’t much care what the White House thinks or what it might do for the Democrats’ electoral prospects. Being an ex-president means never having to say you’re sorry. Why not let it rip?
AP also draws attention to this little back stage video from ABC:
My guess … Clinton and Ryan both recognize the obvious. Medicare is unsustainable.
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At this point, unless there are folks down on the Potomac with courage to actually face the problems we are faced with, all we’re doing is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic as we sink.? Depending on who is in charge will only determine how fast we will sink!!!? Fix the spending but just don’t touch my freebies!!!!!!
The most dangerous form of? propanda is not what the other party is saying (because you won’t believe it anyway), it’s what your own party is putting forth. We need more Ron Pauls, Bill Clintons and the like to help us cut through it from time to time. Thanks Bill for this one.
Bill wants to fix medicare by taking it away from the wealthiest, and giving it to the needy.I am glad that Ryan is for that also maybe he is maturing after the butt kicking he got in NY 26 on Tue.
Thanks for the comic relief, RJ!
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Now what is Bill Clinton’s plan again, and why is he agreeing with Ryan?? Did you actually listen to the cut?? Please explain how the $500 billion being extracted from Medicare now to prop up ?bamacare in a few years helps strengthen Medicare.? When Medicare crashes and burns due to Democrat neglect, malfeasance and political game playing, everyone will lose it.
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The only “butt” getting kicked is the country’s butt, thanks to the election of lying rubberstampers like Hochul.
The Clinton animosity towards Obama shows it’s face again.
I feel bad for some of you? that think Clinton is on Ryans side. However I am not suprised?because the republicans are used to all the lies from their great leaders telling them its ok and then they throw everyone overboard. Medicare is not broke leave it alone. The way it will fail is when Ryan tinkers with it. LISTEN UP RYAN AND FELLOW REPUBLICANS KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE, THE DEMS WILL FIX THEM AS NEEDED AND THEY WILL DO IT RIGHT. THEY DID INVENT THESE PROGRAMS SO THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO.??
Medicare needs fixing. Will not happen until the two sides get off the propaganda wagon and start to negotiate a compromise. Neither side can do it alone.
The Republicans say it needs fixing.? The Democrats don’t.? You say it needs fixing.? The Democrats are confiscating a half trillion dollars from Medicare.? How will that fix it?? Where do you think the real propaganda is?
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RJ: the trustees of Medicare say it will run out of money in 2024, five years earlier than previously predicted and with no Republican plan in effect.? When the money runs out, who gets Medicare?
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As GM commercials used to say, pay me now or pay me later.
RJ, please state your age (round numbers are OK) and even a small vision of how we can correct this SPENDING problem.? Your comments are simply talking points, no more no less.? At least you admit that Dems created social security and medicare.? I am going to go out on a limb and guess you have never run a business and do not understand the term unfunded liability.
RJ, you funny!
Which Soros media spawn is your favorite?
Dims, the propaganda is on BOTH sides. Vouchers will not fix the problem either, any more than vouchers will “fix” the educational system. Vouchers are another “can” to be kicked down the road.
But as stated, the propaganda from the right is to fix, or at least attempt to make the difficult decisions about, Medicare, whereas the Democrat propaganda is to “leave it alone” or “it isn’t broke (sic)” or images of grandma getting the heave ho off the cliff.
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As for vouchers, I would love to have them for either issue, particularly education.? So would all those poor black families in D.C., trapped in an “educational” system that Democrats insist isn’t broken (while sending their kids to private schools like Sidwell Friends).
Have it your way. Good luck on the vouchers, so far it’s all been talk/no action so you are safe in embracing both.
The lyin’ king has two faces? That’s not news.
Ok, Bill Clinton and Pat Caddell (Democrat strategist) are saying the same thing. Clinton was a smart guy on budget matters. I never thought I’d say this but, he is looking better and better in hindsight as a President.? The Democrats have NO plans and No strategies, they just dump on any plan that the Republicans put forth.? Bill Clinton is having a Netanyahu moment, call me naive, but he sees the light. He is a straight shooter here.
But, he was a sexist pig!
I don’t know why everybody is looking for ulterior motives here. Maybe Clinton is trying to be helpful to the young fella…who looks to have a bright future.? Clinton knows two things that Ryan could benefit from learning: First: ideology is a starting point…that will be tempered by political realities.? Secondly:? Cuts have real consequences for real people. Pragamtism will?require both revenue increases and spending cuts.? You know their relationship has gone too far if Ryan starts dating interns.? It does the body good, though,?when the warring factions lay down their swords for a moment or two. I liked Rand Paul’s principled stand re. the Patriot Act, but I also liked it, that?he had something nice to say about his adversary?(Harry Reid) after the two were able to work out a compromise. Yes Rodney, we can all get along.
FDR even knew that Social Security was a ponzi scheme and warned that it could not survive as written.
How did Social Security get in here?
All those socialist programs start to look alike after a while!? 😉
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They all start to fail the same way too…
Yes! And Ryan’s plan is socialism.
“Corporate socialism, a welfare state for wealthy companies, and a tax-and-spend Republicanism where the middle class is taxed and the wealthy get to spend the money.”
$15,000 for everyone over 65 handed right over to them.
Are you sure you want to run with that?
so?cial?ism
[soh-shuh-liz-uhm] Show IPA
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I give up.? Look up the definition yourself and tell us how that applies to Ryan’s plan.
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At least you feel as I do about welfare states!