The Obama campaign needs to fight back hard against that $700 billion Medicare lie

[WI_DEM]

I keep hearing the GOP spokesmen and the candidates themselves talking about how Obama cut $700 billion from Medicare and how they (Romney/Ryan) will 'protect the program'. It's being repeated on every TV news show and ad campaigns by Romney and groups supporting him. I've been surprised that since Ryan came on the ticket that the Obama campaign hasn't been as agressive in highlighting the Ryan Budget and the massive cuts it calls for in Medicare, effectively killing the program. Instead the President spoke about the Farm bill (though that is an important issue, too). However, I've heard more about Obama cutting Medicare than I've been hearing about the Ryan/Romney gut Medicare plan.

For that matter we had a good thing going about Romney's taxes and now hardly a word. I guess Romney was successful in changing the debate after all.

[eridani]

1. Reducing subsidies to private Medicare Advantage plans is not "cutting" n/t

[WI_DEM]

3. They need to get that message out strongly.

[KharmaTrain]

2. Give It Time...

Right now Willard and Wolfgang are dancing around which part of Ryan's past lives on and which is buried (only to be resurected in campaign ads). We're seeing Ryan uncomfortable in defending his own record...and that's fatal in a political battle. His words are all over the place and they're soon to come back to haunt him.

We've been seeing an inept rushpublican campaign that can't really find a message and throws this shit out there that is usually slapped back at them. The fact they're bringing up Medicare and going to make it a campaign issue scares the kool-aid out of the teabagger congresscritters as the more the election is on the Ryan "budget" the worse it is for them.

We see daily talking points that continue to backfire and this one will as well. If Rmoney wants to debate cutting medicare then bring it on!!!

[WI_DEM]

4. No, every day we don't hit hard on this is another day of them spreading their lies and making

the big lie stick and they are experts at it.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. "they are experts at it."

No they're not. They blew it in 2008 and have blown it now. We're just witnessing their attempt at filling the vacuum of their incompetency with more incompetency. All they have left is to try to hold their congressional seats and as of today, even that is questionable because Ryan is toxic to the downstate tickets.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Different Stick Different Day...

That's what makes Rmoney such a target rich environment. We have his lack of disclosure on taxes, lack of specifics on a budget (including those lies about Medicare), his corrupt management of Bain (outsourcing and financial manipulation)...the problem isn't having or sticking with one major flaw but which one to use to continue to build the narrative of someone who is greedy, inept and out of touch.

I don't disagree with your outrage at Willard's lies and how we need to hammer, but remember that Willard's campaign is predicated on lies and one by one these lies have been coming back to hurt him. There's so much in that Ryan budget to keep these losers on the defensive through November and to, hopefully, fuel Senate, House and state races as well.

Cheers...

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Rmoney/Ryayn is toast

They will forever be tied to "Ending Medicare as we know it" and "Vouchers". This is why they are trying so hard to put the lie out there but it's too late. The Ayn-Randian-Ryan spent a year trying to "sell" his voucher garbage and the media made him their darling before finally realizing that he had to be "disappeared" due to the criticism. He was resurrected again when the rethugs took the House and he did the same draconian type of garbage as chairman of the House Budget committee with his "plan", but once again, had to be "disappeared" due to the criticism.

This is the 3rd time they have trotted him out and it's his 3rd strike, so he'll be out. He is damaged goods.

[ProSense]

8. Where the hell

are all the factchecking organizations?

They were quick to jump on the pro-Obama "Son of Boss" ad, but Romney can lie his ass off, and nothing.

[alc]

9. ACA DOES cut Medicare significantly

The CBO says it will cost $700+ billion if ACA is repealed (so that's the number being used) . The campaign needs to explain how those cuts won't change benefits (i.e. elimination of medicare advantage programs and cost savings).

The CBO analysis from March uses many phrases such as

reduce net federal outlays (primarily for Medicare) by $492 billion.

http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/ftpdocs/121xx/doc12119/03-30-healthcarelegislation.pdf

Fighting back by calling this a lie depends on people not associating "reduction in outlays" with "budget cut". With enough ad money, Romney can probably convince many people that Obama is lying now about the $700 billion (if the campaign fights back with claims that it is a lie now). If people think Ds are lying about any aspect of Medicare it can hurt their credibility in attacking R&R on the subject.
I think it would be much better to take an approach of saying that ACA DOES cut Medicare COSTS (and budget) and the administration is being fiscally responsible by cutting that much without changing benefits. As a surrogate on a talk show, I'd be much more comfortable debating how ACA+Medicare+Cost Savings (even if called budget cuts) is a win rather than trying to explain how "reduction in outlays" is not a "budget cut".

[ananda]

10. Yeah, Romney pulled that lie out this morning to on CBS.

The hosts were waayy easy on him and let him get away with it.

The Obama campaign definitely needs to put this issue out in the
spotlight with the truth. I understand that 700b in cuts simply
reduced fraud and double payments.

R$R's plan would kill the program and hurt seniors immensely.