GOP Ignores Midterm Promise To ‘Listen To The People Who Sent Us Here’ With Ryan Budget

With the overwhelming majority of Americans saying they oppose Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) budget, Steve Benen has a good post reminding us that it was just last year “when Republicans decided that opinion polls are the single most important factor policymakers should consider, especially when dealing with controversial changes to the status quo.” Here they were arguing that President Obama should drop reform because the American people oppose it:

- SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): “The American people don’t want this bill, but our Democrat friends seem determined to jam it down their throat regardless, and I think there are going to be some very serious consequences.”

- SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R-TN): “The American people thoroughly reject it. So, if [President Obama] is listening to the American people, they’ve said no to his bill.”

- SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ): “The American people are very smart. That’s why two thirds of them want either stop or start over.”

- REP. ERIC CANTOR (R-VA): “What we are trying to do is find out why the president wants to continue to ignore the American people.”

Now they’re ignoring public opinion that’s far harsher than the opposition to the Affordable Care Act:

- 80 percent oppose cuts to Medicare or Medicaid, including 73 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of Independents. [McClatchy-Marist poll]

- 68 percent of Americans say the proposed GOP cuts unfairly favor some groups more than others. And seven in ten also believe the Republican budget will affect their families. [CNN]

- 65 percent oppose turning Medicare into a voucher program and if they’re told that the cost of private insurance for seniors will increase, 84 percent of Americans oppose the plan. [Washington Post/ABC News poll]

Recall that after the election, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) outlined his party’s priorities in the aftermath of a strong showing in the midterm elections. “Republicans have a plan for following through on the wishes of the American people,” he said in a speech titled “Listening To The People Who Sent Us Here.” It starts with gratitude and a certain humility for the task we’ve been handed. It means sticking ever more closely to the conservative principles that got us here. It means learning the lessons of history. And, above all, it means listening to the people who sent us here. If we do all this, we will finish the job.”