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Title: Time to Call the Tea Party's Bluff
Source:
Rasmussen
URL Source: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/pub ... _to_call_the_tea_party_s_bluff
Published: Jun 3, 2010
Author: Froma Harrop
Post Date: 2010-06-03 09:52:42 by go65
Keywords: None
Views: 17621
Comments: 57
I'm done trying to hack through the tea party thicket of self-contradiction, self-delusion and self- serving positions. My last straw is Rand Paul, a tea party favorite and now Republican nominee for senator from Kentucky. What damns Paul wasn't the flap over his views on the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Presumably, Paul isn't a racist. He's just a privileged white guy -- a doctor and son of 11-term congressman Ron Paul -- who lacks feeling for America's tragic history of racism. What makes Rand Paul so exasperating is his crashing hypocrisy on Medicare. The hero to the cause of smaller government and balanced budgets also vows not to touch Medicare -- the biggest and fastest- growing expense on the federal balance sheet. Rand's compromised stance reflects the political necessity of keeping the tea party people happy. The group is heavy with older folk, who have carefully drawn a line of self-interest around the king of government entitlements, Medicare. Here's a sample view from a leader of the Rhode Island tea party: "We understand that the federal government cannot take $500 billion out of Medicare and provide the same medical services to our elderly, all the while offering health care to 30 million new people, without a vast increase in the number of providers, the imposition of massive new taxes and/or the rationing of care." Where does one start? First off, the new health care legislation does not cut a single guaranteed Medicare benefit. It actually expands the offerings to include screening services and closing the drug- benefit doughnut hole. The savings come largely from ending overpayments to the private Medicare Advantage plans. As for "the massive new taxes," would the tea party folk please tell us where they are? While they're looking, the public should note that money for the new health care legislation is honestly allocated. That can't be said of the Republicans' 2003 Medicare drug benefit -- a corporate bonanza for which not a penny was funded. Our tea party spokeswoman goes on to claim that, in any case, "we paid" for Medicare. Oh, really? It happens that Medicare payroll taxes provide 40 percent of the program's funding and premiums another 12 percent. The remaining 39 percent comes from general revenues (mostly income taxes). Much of the payroll and income taxes are born by people who won't live long enough to collect benefits themselves. And given the spiraling costs of the program, today's young taxpayers will never see the level of benefits that they are now subsidizing. What is the extent of the support? A typical couple retiring in 2020 will have paid about $100,000 in lifetime Medicare taxes but will receive $500,000 in scheduled Medicare benefits over the premiums they pay to the program. This is according to C. Eugene Steuerle, a tax policy expert at the Urban Institute. I asked Steuerle about the income taxes that many Medicare beneficiaries paid and continue to pay. He responded that "given the large deficits we're running and the benefit level relative to previous or current tax levels, there's still no doubt that current generations are being subsidized by future generations." My question to the tea party's lovers of liberty: If you really think you've paid for Medicare and hate big government, why don't you demand that this expensive program be ended? Hey, the same Constitution that (you keep insisting) says nothing about a universal right to health coverage doesn't guarantee health benefits for older people, either. Of course, you will get a refund for those payroll taxes you've paid. But tea party patriots are not clamoring to lift the taxpayers' yoke of subsidizing their retirements. The phoniness of this movement is hard to calculate.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 40.
#1. To: go65 (#0)
(laughing) Lets see. Called the Tea Party a bunch of racists. Then bigots. Then ignorant. Then claimed it was a GOP 'astro turffing'. Then claimed its a front for Aryan Nation idiots. After all that...they were a huge force in NJ, VA, and of course MA, getting GOP victories in each due to their enthusiasm. They also supported Democrats who were running on conservative principals related to curtailing federal spending, taxation. And were against Owe-bama care, and cap and trade (PA-12 specifically). Now...'call their bluff'? rotfl! Yeah, you keep doing that, so far they're winning.
You completely missed the point (as usual). Where are the list of programs the Tea Party actually wants to cut? And did you miss the fact that Scott Brown has become a key swing vote to help Democrats?
Where are the list of programs the Tea Party actually wants to cut? And did you miss the fact that Scott Brown has become a key swing vote to help Democrats? 'You completely missed the point (as usual). ' If you mean the dem talking point, nope, just ignored it. 'Where are the list of programs the Tea Party actually wants to cut? ' What does that have to do with the TP being wildly sucessful to date? 'And did you miss the fact that Scott Brown has become a key swing vote to help Democrats? ' Did you miss the fact that seat was held by Democrats for sixty years, and is now Republican? Did you miss the fact you lost your Super Majority? Did you miss the fact this is the single most hated Congress in American History, brought about by total Democrat control? Did you miss the fact Owe-bama has been thwarted in several areas because DEMOCRATS wouldn't vote with him? Did you miss the fact every race where he's shown up of note in the past eight months his choosen Candidate/Nominee has LOST? No worries, I'm here for you on these 'misses'.
what programs does the tea party specifically want to cut? Doug Hoffman, Marlin Stutzman, John Hostetter, J.D. Heyworth, Chuck DeVore, Tim Burns, Debra Medina, Sam Rohrer, and Peg Luksik might have a different view of tea party success. All of them are Tea Party candidates who lost, or are losing in polls. And with respect to Virginia, Bob McDonnell shunned the tea party and instead campaigned with Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. And in MA, Scott Brown's organization had close ties to Romney while Brown blew off tea party events. Reality sucks, but then again.....
During and after the gubernatorial campaign, I spoke directly to Bob McDonnell and he is a HUGE supporter of me and my fellow TeaPartyPatriots...100%!! RATS are being exposed as the anti-Capitalist, anti- American Marxists they've been all along and yer beloved party of RACISTS, RAT- MORONS, UnionThugBureaucRATS, and ignorant welfare-whore RAT-minions is about to lose control of Congress. Then, it's just a matter of time before the RAT- Party Elites throw their li'l Kenyan hand-puppet under the bus...and Barry Hussein Soetoro will most likely be forced to RESIGN his office in SHAME!! Enjoy the next coupla years, my Obamabot buddy...MUD
It isn't just the RATS it is ALL "PROGRESSIVES" regardless of the party label they wear. ia what ALL "PROGRRESSIVES" both RINO and RAT do every time their lips move. is what they will do to YOU as long as you see "PROGRESSIVISM" and "SOCIALISM" as just a matter of party label and continue to vote for "R" SOCIALISTS AND PROGRESSIVES like Shrubya rather than genuine constitutionalist Conservatives!!
#43. To: Coral Snake (#40)
I do NOT disagree, CS...in fact, RINOs tend to piss me off even more than RATS do when they sell WeThePeople down the river...MUD
Preachin' to the choir, buddy, preachin' at the choir...LOL!!
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#2. To: Badeye (#1)
After all that...they were a huge force in NJ, VA, and of course MA, getting GOP victories in each due to their enthusiasm.
#5. To: go65 (#2)
You completely missed the point (as usual).
#6. To: Badeye (#5)
If you mean the dem talking point, nope, just ignored it.
What does that have to do with the TP being wildly sucessful to date?
#11. To: go65 (#6)
"...with respect to Virginia, Bob McDonnell shunned the tea party"
#40. To: Mudboy Slim (#11)
(Edited)
THIS
And THIS
Replies to Comment # 40.
#48. To: Coral Snake (#40)
"It isn't just the RATS it is ALL "PROGRESSIVES" regardless of the party label they wear."
End Trace Mode for Comment # 40.
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