editoriaLIES

Times Union - May 27

"SOME LESSONS ON MEDICARE"

Let's clear that up...

"SOME LIES FOR MEDISCARE"

OK.

"U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to cut Medicare..."

Lie #1 - Ryan's budget increases Medicare spending by 70%, that's not a cut.

"...by turning a popular entitlement program into a private insurance system..."

Lie #2 - Ryan's budget envisions the government paying most of Medicare recipient's premiums, that's not "a private insurance system".

"And on Tuesday, that debate was largely settled. The idea that Medicare could be "saved" the way Mr. Ryan and his supporters envision went down in a resounding defeat."

Not really. His proposal received an admirable number of votes. Obama's plan to "save" Medicare by doing nothing and letting it go bankrupt received zero votes.

"A day later, the Senate voted overwhelmingly against the Ryan plan. Five Republicans defected to join the Democrats in that 57-40 vote."

Lie #3. Less than 3:2 is now "overwhelmingly"? I don't think so. More than 41% voted for his plan. None voted for Obama and the Democrats' 'Let Medicare go bankrupt' plan.

"And why wouldn't they? In the critical arena of electoral politics, what had been such an appealing solution to the Republican establishment seemed, to ordinary voters, more like eliminating Medicare rather than saving it."

Because the press keeps lying about it to scare voters, d'uh.

"The worst lesson to take out of western New York is to ignore the warning of former President Bill Clinton and conclude that nothing can be done to control Medicare costs."

But Clinton, who ran for re-election on saving Medicare, did nothing about entitlements as they creep towards insolvency.

"Simply denouncing Mr. Ryan's plan might make for short-term political gain, but leaves longer-term fiscal problems unaddressed. The Democrats should consider themselves every bit as obligated as the Republicans to develop an alternative to a Medicare strategy that's been rejected by a tiny yet significant portion of the American electorate."

Maybe the Times Union should stop lying about it, then.