The Ryan "Plan," Gingrich Still Talking, GOP Still Fighting Medicare, Medicare Vouchers

The Social Security & Medicare Double-Reverse

From NCPSSM:  "Kudos to the Center for American Progress for cutting through Paul Ryan’s Social Security & Medicare double-speak and putting the Budget Chairman’s relatively newfound concern for America’s poor in perspective.  Rep. Ryan has taken the 'greedy geezer' myth to new heights to bolster his claims that wealthy seniors are draining resources from the poor.  Scott Lilly with CAP exposes the many flaws in Ryan’s theory."

Definitely a must read and must click.

Newt Says Modernize Medicare

"Gingrich compared the 2012 presidential election to that of 1860, where Abraham Lincoln ran on a platform that called for technological change.  Calling for a more modern anti-fraud system in Medicare and Medicaid, Gingrich said by getting rid of a bureaucratic, paper-based system taxpayers will save billions of dollars."

GOP Continues Stealth Tactics to End Medicare

"When the Republicans release their budget next week, they'll likely say they have a 'new' Medicare proposal that will 'save' Medicare instead of eliminate it.  That's not true.  The Republicans still plan to end Medicare as we know it.  But this time they'll do so with the support of Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon."

The Results of Medicare Vouchers

"Helping younger generations is a noble sentiment, but unfortunately one reflected only in Republican speeches.  Take the recent debates on entitlement reform: The most prominent Republican plan, Paul Ryan's Medicare proposal, would retain the current system (the one that's supposedly overgenerous) for those 55 and older.  His program would then voucherize Medicare benefits for everyone else.  hese vouchers wouldn't be indexed to escalating health-care costs, and so by design the younger one is, the less one would receive."

For Your Information

When a Congressman Becomes a Lobbyist, He Gets a 1,452 Percent Raise (On Average)

"Former Congressman Billy Tauzin (R-LA) made $19,359,927 as a lobbyist for pharmaceutical companies between 2006 and 2010.  Tauzin retired from Congress in 2005, shortly after leading the passage of President Bush’s prescription drug expansion.  He was recruited to lead PhRMA, a lobbying association for Pfizer, Bayer, and other top drug companies.  During the health reform debate, the former congressman helped his association block a proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate for drug prices, a major concession that extended the policies enacted in Tauzin’s original Medicare drug-purchasing scheme.  Tauzin left PhRMA in late 2010.  He was paid over $11 million in his last year at the trade group.  Comparing Tauzin’s salary during his last year as congressman and his last year as head of PhRMA, his salary went up 7110 percent."

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