USA Today Editorial - "Republicans show seriousness about a debt deal" by Proposing Cuts To Medicare

[TomCADem]

When Democrats merely propose allowing taxes for the top two percent return to Clinton era rates, the media lets Republicans compete among themselves as to who was most derisive at the audacity of the proposal. But, when Republicans propose to cut Medicare in order to protect tax cuts to the rich, then this means that they are being serious, particularly since they offer a vague promise to agree in the future to $80 billion in the elimination of unspecified tax deductions that would likely hit the middle class.

No wonder Paul Krugman said that the mainstream media's threshold for seriousness is how willing a politician is willing to stick it to the middle class in order to hold the wealth harmless.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2012/12/04/fiscal-cliff-republican-plan/1747205/

Republicans professed to be deeply concerned about runaway Medicare spending, then skewered Obama during the 2010 and 2012 campaigns for making cuts to the program. They attacked him for his deficits, then broke off debt-reduction talks in 2011. And they assailed his signature health care law, even though it borrowed heavily from GOP proposals dating to the early 1990s.

But on Monday, four weeks before the so-called fiscal cliff, came a glimmer of hope that Republicans can stand for something. Speaker John Boehner and other House Republicans presented a serious, though not sufficiently specific, plan for starting to restrain deficits.

* * *
The new GOP plan is, to be sure, far from perfect, particularly on the revenue side. Republicans continue to insist that additional tax revenue should come only from closing deductions, credits and other "tax expenditures," not from the higher rates they have pledged to oppose. This prompted Obama on Tuesday to call the plan "out of balance."

It also raises a number of practical problems. One is that major tax overhaul is not going to happen in the next four weeks, and Congress and Obama need some kind of down payment on the deficit now. Another is that an approach based solely on limiting deductions would hit middle-class taxpayers much harder than one that blended the closing of loopholes with higher marginal rates for upper-income workers. Even so, it's encouraging to see Republicans making positive contributions. Dealing with the fiscal cliff requires leaders of both parties to level with voters, stand up to their most conservative and liberal wings, put forth bold ideas and be willing to cut deals.

Why is it so bold and brave to attack the needy and protect the rich?

[Third Doctor]

1. That's it

repubs keep digging that hole. In 2014 we will push you in and throw in the dirt.

[SunSeeker]

2. No mention that the GOP plan raises Medicare age to 67 and cuts benefits--including for vets.

Last edited Thu Dec 6, 2012, 05:45 PM - Edit history (1)

When is the MSM going to report rather than repeat?!

[Cha]

3. USA Editorial Board: "The republicons finally stand for something"

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. Yeah

Last edited Thu Dec 6, 2012, 09:29 AM - Edit history (2)

For something bad!!!!

When did it become "serious" or fashionable to do something that's going to unnecessarily make life harder for most people?

[NewJeffCT]

6. Since the media decided that Paul Ryan

is a very serious Republican a few years ago.

[WI_DEM]

5. So it's bold to cut Medicare but don't raise taxes on the top 2%

[John2]

7. They keep

calling people that voted for President Obama Liberals. We are not Liberals, we are just not stupid. We did not create the Debt. We paid for Social Security and Medicare. Nobody voted for the dam media! We are just not going to let Congress renege on a contract, because Wall Street and the Media says so. What we need to do is fleece all those millionaires, Wall Street and the media. Maybe we can come up with 17 trillion dollars among them! At least it will cut back their Foreign spending.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. I am sure as hell a liberal.

So speak for yourself.

[nolabels]

9. I might be John2 was speaking to our combined common sense

It's like it doesn't matter how uninformed you are, anyone can tell you that chances at multiple withdraws from your bank using a pistol instead of an ATM card are bound to diminish.

What we are talking about here is a 2% telling the rest of us that they can do whatever they want, that will end.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. Well it's the McPaper after all. nt