Pawlenty: If president, I’d sign Ryan Medicare overhaul into law

[marmar]

from the Minnesota Independent:




Pawlenty: If president, I’d sign Ryan Medicare overhaul into law
Dems respond: He's 'failed a critical leadership test'

By Paul Schmelzer | 05.26.11 | 2:39 pm


Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan to overhaul Medicare, voted down by the Senate last night, may carry electoral risk for those who back it, as recent state and national survey data suggests, yet presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty is now backing the plan.

He made this statement to reporters in New Hampshire, according to Politico:

First of all, I applaud Congressman Ryan for his courage and his leadership in putting his plan forward. At least he has a plan. President Obama doesn’t have a plan. The Democrats don’t have a plan. And I really applaud his leadership and his courage in putting a plan on the table. Number two, we will have our own plan; it will have many similarities to Congressman Ryan’s plan, but it will have some differences, one of which will be we’ll address Social Security. He chose not to; we are addressing Social Security. And the Medicare part of our plan will have some differences, too. It will have some similarities also. So we’ll have our own plan. But if I can’t have my own plan — as president, I’ll have my own plan (but) if I can’t have that, and the bill came to my desk and I had to choose between signing or not Congressman Ryan’s plan, of course I would sign it.

That drew a quick response from Democrats. Citing her party’s win in a New York special congressional election this week — a race that many see as a referendum on Ryan’s plan — DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released a statement about a plan she said “even Newt Gingrich called ‘radical.’”

“Now it’s clear that (Pawlenty) would ignore the wishes of the American people and the best interests of this nation and its seniors in order to win the approval of the far right,” she said. “Governor Pawlenty may have passed his party’s primary litmus test by voicing his approval of a plan to end Medicare – but he has failed a critical leadership test.” ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://minnesotaindependent.com/82114/pawlenty-if-president-id-sign-ryan-medicare-overhaul-into-law