Best Story of the Day! "Ryan: Republicans Should Double Down On My Budget"

[Pirate Smile]

I swear, I can hear Nancy screaming "DO IT!!!" in her head from here.

Ryan: Republicans Should Double Down On My Budget

In a speech at Stanford University's conservative Hoover Institution, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) offered a recitation of his controversial, alternative vision for the country's social safety net.
But despite the backlash Republicans have faced taken since they voted overwhelmingly in the spring to adopt his approach, Ryan says now's the time for conservatives and GOP candidates to renew their support for that vision, not to walk away from it.

"We took a few dings at first, we survived," Ryan admitted. "The Democrats' tried the same old scare tactics for a few months, and in the first special election that took place after our budget passed, we learned a costly lesson. We learned that unless we back up our ideas with courage, and defend them in the face of attacks, we will lose. But once we learned that lesson and started to get our message out... well, a funny thing happened: People listened. They learned that our plan did not affect those in or near retirement; that it guaranteed coverage options like the ones members of Congress enjoy; and that choice and competition would drive costs down and quality up. They also learned more about the Democrats' plans for Medicare, and they didn't like what they heard."

-snip-
This is pretty bold advice given the evidence. True, the Democrats attack campaign of the spring and early summer has since taken a back seat to things like the Anthony Weiner scandal and partisan fights over the debt limit and jobs. But President Obama has pledged to make Ryan's vision -- and particularly his plan to phase out traditional Medicare and replace it with a subsidized private insurance system -- a major focus of the election.

-snip-
It's a big gamble. But it underlines the GOP's seriousness about fundamentally changing retirement policies for seniors and the poor in the months and years ahead. As Ryan himself noted, speaking of federal health care programs, "you have to revisit the structure of federal health policy and change the incentives - something that many leading Democrats, with their unwavering commitment to early 20th Century social insurance models, remain totally unwilling to do."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/ryan-republicans-should-double-down-on-my-budget.php

:woohoo: :popcorn:

[Ken Burch]

1. I'm all for Republicans EATING "Double Downs" as they talk about Ryan's budget

That should create some special elections due to the cardiovascular problems those things cause.

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. Where can I send money to fund his nationwide tour? Shout it from every Capitol.

:rofl:

[Pirate Smile]

3. kick