This week, the Senate will take up a bill concerning extending the reduction in the amount of taxes Americans pay to fund Social Security and Medicare. The bill contemplates extension of the lower tax rate Democrats, at the urging of President Obama, put in place two years ago as a “temporary” measure to boost the economy. Read more
On Wednesday, Dr. Donald Berwick submitted his resignation as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Berwick was yet another recess appointment made by President Obama when even Senate Democrats proved “hostile” to his confirmation. Although his recess appointment would expire at the end of this year, Dr. Berwick announced he will be resigning on December 2. Read more
Remember when the President told us that Obamacare would cut gabillions in Medicare waste, fraud and abuse? Apparently, in a secret backroom deal, the President deputized the Wall Street Journal to perform this task. Read more
While we are all consumed with the subject of debt, deficit, and spending, the Obama administration, in two unrelated actions, has decided to throw grandma off the cliff, and, to make your health insurance more expensive. Read more
We all know that the federal government has “hit” the debt ceiling of $14.294 trillion that Congress has authorized. So, Congress is now looking at “where we go” from here. But, here is what you may not know. Read more
Everything with this administration seems to be “unexpected”…from higher unemployment, to higher gas prices, to higher food prices. We now have a new “unexpected”.
Friday the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds issued their annual report. You can read a summary here, but it isn’t pretty. Read more
An earlier post explained the portion of Obamacare that creates Accountable Care Organizations, or ACO’s. They are essentially a group of doctors and hospitals and testing services that would form one business entity to take care of all of the medical needs of “assigned beneficiaries”. In Obamacarespeak, a “beneficiary” is someone on Medicare. The “assigned” part is still a mystery. Read more
This past week much has been said and written about President Obama’s plan for Medicare, under Obamacare, and, Paul Ryan’s (R. Wi.) plan for Medicare outlined in his proposed budget. Rather than demagogue one or the other (I suspect we’ve all had enough of that at the moment), I thought I’d describe both plans, and let you decide. Read more
President Obama today, speaking to a crowd of college students (is there some reason why he won’t speak to the adult taxpayers of this country), blasted the Republican budget proposed by Paul Ryan (R. Wi.). According to the President, it will throw seniors under the bus, they will have to eat dog food, starve, and die, all thanks to the Republicans.
There are a few facts, however, that he neglected to mention and, that you need to know.
First, Paul Ryan’s proposed budget does not affect anyone who is 55 years or older.
And second, Paul Ryan’s proposed budget calls for an increase (from today’s levels) in Medicare expenditures by almost $500 billion by 2021. Obamacare has enacted a $500 billion decrease (from 2010 levels) in Medicare expenditures by 2021. And, Obamacare is already in place.
Perhaps, it is Rep. Ryan, not the President who is trying to make sure that seniors don’t eat dog food, starve, etc.
Heck, even the AARP didn’t object when Obamacare cut $500 billion from Medicare. Now, they are hopping mad about Ryan’s proposal.
Hypocrisy at its best.
Maybe that’s why the President won’t speak to adults.
Call this post the “Education of Chris Matthews”, or maybe, why progressives don’t excel at math. Or maybe this is just frustration and denial at the ultimate demise of socialism. I am not sure. But one thing is for sure, Mark Halperin, now an MSNBC analyst, won’t last very long with his new employer if he keeps challenging conventional lefty wisdom. It is truly an awesome moment. Read more