Steele Now Criticizes Cost-Savings In Medicare, But Wanted Medicare Cuts ‘On The Table’ In ‘06
Steele Now Criticizes Cost-Savings In Medicare, But Wanted Medicare Cuts ‘On The Table’ In ‘06
In an attempt to harness the fears that many seniors have about health care reform, the Republican National Committee released a “Seniors’ Health Care Bill of Rights” today, in which it declares that Medicare should not be “cut”:
PROTECT MEDICARE AND NOT CUT IT IN THE NAME OF HEALTH CARE REFORM: President Obama and Congressional Democrats are promoting a government-run health care experiment that will cut over $500 billion from Medicare to be used to pay for their plan. Medicare should not be raided to pay for another entitlement.
In a Washington Post op-ed, RNC Chairman Michael Steele expanded on that idea, saying that President Obama “and congressional Democrats are planning to raid, not aid, Medicare by cutting $500 billion from the program to fund his health-care experiment.” “These types of ‘reforms’ don’t make sense for the future of an already troubled federal program or for the services it provides that millions of Americans count on,” wrote Steele.
But Steele hasn’t always believed that Medicare should be sacrosanct when it comes to finding cost-savings. Appearing on NBC’s Meet The Press as a Senate candidate in 2006, Steele said that cuts to Medicare “absolutely” had to be “on the table” in order to “control runaway federal spending”:
MR. RUSSERT: Your Web site, Mr. Steele, says you want to control runaway federal spending.
LT. GOV. STEELE: Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: What programs would you cut?
LT. GOV. STEELE: Well, what I would like to do is something that we did in Maryland. We — Governor Ehrlich and I came into office, we had a $2.2 billion deficit staring us in the face and a bloated government to contend with. And so we stepped back and evaluated exactly what the priorities of our government should be. Seventy-eight percent of our spending is in two areas: education and health care.
MR. RUSSERT: It’s the same in the federal government.
LT. GOV. STEELE: It’s the same. And my point…
MR. RUSSERT: Seventy percent is Social Security, Medicare and Defense.
LT. GOV. STEELE: Absolutely. Absolutely.
MR. RUSSERT: Would you touch those?
LT. GOV. STEELE: Abso — Tim, everything has…
MR. RUSSERT: Everything’s on the table.
LT. GOV. STEELE: Everything has to be on the table, my friend. We are living in a time — we have to — government has to act like the rest of, the rest of the world and sit back and look at your budget. If you don’t have enough money in any given month, what do you do? You’ve got to reprioritize. You’ve got to take care of the business at hand.
Additionally, the RNC as an institution has aggressively supported Medicare cuts in the past. In 1995, when congressional Republicans sought to cut $270 billion from Medicare over seven years, the RNC ran radio ads supporting the cuts.
Finally, the implication of Steele and the RNC’s Medicare rhetoric is that proposed health care reforms would cut benefits for seniors, but as FactCheck.org recently noted, that claim is “outright false, though that doesn’t keep it from being repeated ad infinitum.” The AARP, one of the largest membership organizations representing seniors in America, agrees.
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Michael Steele flip flopping and then lying?
Whoda thunk?
August 24th, 2009 at 10:35 amin the same way it took Nixon to go to China, it was always gonne take a Dim to gut Social Security and kill Medicare.
Obama’s the ‘designated’ guy, i fear…
Remember, you heard it first here!
August 24th, 2009 at 10:38 amIf one projects that Medicare will cost less if we remove some red tape, how is that the same thing as cutting the budget for Medicare? This seems to be the root of the lie they’re pushing lately. Whassername said something similar on Jon Stewart the other night.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:39 amMichael is doing his fish on the pied dance, you know flip flop wiggle trying to get back into the safety of the water.
Micheal YA the fish
August 24th, 2009 at 10:39 amKill Medicare? The same program that couldn’t get a single vote when Weiner (D-NY) dared his House colleagues to take it apart?
I’m not sure what you’re smokin’, Tokin…;-)
August 24th, 2009 at 10:43 amI’m kind of amazed this man still makes the rounds. He doesn’t seem to know anything about anything, not even the talking points he’s supposed to stick to. The guy just comes off as a sleazebag.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:48 amSimply one more member of the GOP flip flopping on something too important not to be taken seriously.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:49 amRepublicans lie because they are incapable of actually debating anything on its merits. Lying is easier for those who lack the brain cells to actually think.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:50 amCould he be any more disingenuous?
Democrats are starting to use this hypocrisy as a talking point, and they should because it’s a good one.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:52 amThe Republicans never let a catchy, albeit incorrect, talking point get in the way of facts. Look to hear the newest talking point all over the MSM, right-wing talk shows, etc.:
Obama/Democrats want to raid, not aid, Medicare
August 24th, 2009 at 10:52 amScotty108 says:
Could he be any more disingenuous?
Yes, I’m afraid he could, has, and will.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:54 amJust more lies and misrepresentations by Republicans. I agree that the Dems should be using the flip flops and lies as talking points. This will put doubts in the minds of the people to make them suspicious of further claims.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:54 am“Democrats are trying to kill Medicare”
BAAW HAW HA HA HAAA!
“Your GOP – protecting government programs from free-market liberals since, um, yesterday.”
August 24th, 2009 at 10:55 amLT. GOV. STEELE: Everything has to be on the table, my friend.
It’s hard to argue with a dining room table.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:56 amBut Medicare isn’t a government program, remember? Oh, wait…
http://www.political-buzz.com/
August 24th, 2009 at 11:00 amMichael H. Steele
August 24th, 2009 at 11:06 amThe H stands for HYPOCRIT
Here are my slogans:
Republicans want to scare, not repair.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:09 amRepublicans: The party of Halloween.
Don’t think, feel and follow Steele.
Republicans: All that’s between you and the truth.
Republicans: Supporting an optional Ninth Commandment.
Bartender, set ‘em up, Medicare for ALL Americans, please.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:10 amRNC Chairman Michael Steele is a Nazi. He is just like Hitler because he wants to keep the big government socialist Medicare program. Somebody needs to tell the teabaggers about this, so they can show up and shout him down.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:12 amNot a shred of SANITY in the entire Publican’t Party.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:13 amSteele sez, “I was against it before I was for it, er no, I was for it before I was against it, eh umm, nah, I’m a pandering arsewipe who’ll parrot whatever I think the party line is until notified otherwise. There, that should pretty well cover it, unless it doesn’t, in which case….”. (exit stage right, mumbling and nodding head, alternating between affirmative nod and “do as I say, not as I do” nod, whatever that is in the committee formerly known as Republican National)
August 24th, 2009 at 11:16 amElBruce says:
“Your GOP – protecting government programs from free-market liberals since, um, yesterday.”
Thanks for my morning laugh :P
August 24th, 2009 at 11:16 amVirtual Pebble says:
(exit stage right, mumbling and nodding head……..)
I want to go on record as being NOT RELATED to that exit stage right dude :)~
August 24th, 2009 at 11:19 amThis must mean that Rush Limbaugh is now for Medicare.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:19 amAh, the razzle dazzle of political obstructionism. This just illustrates the lack of integrity in the Gee-Oh-Pee in the well Hypocritical message. F’ em and do what must be done. ?After all, we won the election.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:21 amI don’t want to sound cruel or cold, but don’t seniors get Medicare AND Social Security? No offense, but I know many people who are in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s who get no security at all, In fact, they pay through the nose and their Insurance Cos don’t pay squat. This reminds me of the majority of people who ‘protest’ at the Town Hall meetings. The ones who have the balls to say, “We don’t want the Government to take over our Medicare!” Kind of a ‘No-brainer’ isn’t it? It would be funny if this wasn’t so serious. These people are truly selfish.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:21 amInsurance in general is a mafioso ‘protection scheme’, regardless of what it’s supposedly covers.
You’re ‘betting’ you’ll need help; they’re ‘betting’ you won’t.
Trouble is, just like the mafia, THEY DECIDE who / when to pay. You have no input as a policyholder on the payment outcome.
I’ve watched my deductible for health insurance go from $300 up to $7,500 in 6 years. That’s a 2,500% increase!
Additionally, they have now ‘decided’ that many procedures they cover should go against your deductible first.
Health insurers have began mirroring credit card company schemes…raise rates, change terms, deny payment & pay the big dogs millions & millions in unearned salary.
They’re greedy. They’re dishonest. They’re colluding.
America needs more insurers like we need Bush back in office.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:30 amThis Bozo needs to keep his mouth shut, who listens to anything he says anyway? Isn’t he pretty much a joke? He seems like a loose cannon, just bouncing around on his own for the most part. The pubs seem to ignore him, too. Great leadership.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:50 amSteele is now pushing a new GOP myth…A veterans’ “Death Book.”Read this short article on the “Death Book” myth.
We need to stop this crap before it gets out of hand like the death panel phrase did.
http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=2652
August 24th, 2009 at 12:10 pmDemocrats should embrace the “Senior Bill of Rights,” declare it a bi-partisan bill, schedule it for immediate debate on the floor, and agree with the Republicans that this bill should be extended to all Americans by allowing an optional buy-in to Medicare.
Just think of the fun Democrats can have on the floor during this debate! We could charge admission to the circus as the Republicans fight to ensure continuation and enhancement of a government run health insurance program for seniors and then deny it to all the rest of us! We get to watch Democrats remind the nation that they are the ones who pushed Medicare through for seniors and are pleased that the Republicans have seen the light! We get to hear the Republicans explain why the rest of us can’t have what is so fine and good while the Democrats explain why all the rest of us can have what is so fine and good!
August 24th, 2009 at 1:39 pmIsn’t the proposed cut in the amount that the government pays insurance companies to offer Medicare to seniors even though they can get Medicare directly from the government?
August 25th, 2009 at 7:46 amvery thanks for article!
August 29th, 2009 at 9:25 am