Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Are Conservatives Afraid to Takedown Medicare?

Posted on 05/29/2011 11:45:47 AM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan

Take a look around sometime and maybe you'll notice that despite all the talk about Obamacare or socialized medicine, you never hear conservatives or libertarians go after Medicare. Is it really constitutional? Is this good socialized medicine? Why can't anyone articulate a plan to get out of Medicare?

People like David Frum are already acting like even the most modest reform via Ryan's proposal is akin to Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign suggesting political slaughter. Democrats have found a rallying call in sea of bad news by latching on to the issue. So is Medicare really a third rail in American politics and are we really going to stand on a platform of small government or fiscal conservatism while at the same time saying nothing about the second largest government program in existence that eats up a huge portion of the federal budget while remaining outside the discretionary spending budget Congress debate yearly?

Basically my questions is are we too afraid to suggest Medicare is a horrible program that exemplifies big government, big spending, waste, fraud, unsustainable debt, deformation of the Constitution, socialized medicine, and America is better off without it? Are too many seniors dependant on the government and are too many Americans banking on it when they become of age? Was Ronald Reagan right in 1961 when he quoted he quoted Norman Thomas saying that Americans would not vote for Socialism, but under Liberalism they would vote for every fragment of it? Didn't even the Gipper disavow his own campaign against Medicare when he became President?

Are we against Medicare or are we for it?


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: abortion; medicare; obamacare; termlimits
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last

1 posted on 05/29/2011 11:45:49 AM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Conservative Coulter Fan

It’s a third rail. Look what just happened to Ryan. Burned him big time. We have a perfect storm coming - aging Boomers who represent the biggest voting block in the country. I think we’re going to watch the US implode in slow motion.


2 posted on 05/29/2011 11:51:26 AM PDT by ExtremeUnction
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ExtremeUnction

Ryan didn’t really get burned except in the sense that republicans are horrible at selling even the most modest reform proposals when it comes to entitlement programs and so many of them line up to be against a la Scott Brown. The Boomers are a problem, not a case for keeping Medicare given that there will be 80 million of them and Medicare will be costing over a trillion dollars per year! Even if we don’t reform it at all or any of these programs...it is clear that the American economy and the debt will soon put an end to all of it.


3 posted on 05/29/2011 11:56:09 AM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan ("The liberal agenda is the liberal neurosis made manifest."--Lyle H. Rossiter, Jr., M.D.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks Conservative Coulter Fan.


4 posted on 05/29/2011 11:58:40 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Thanks Cincinna for this link -- http://www.friendsofitamar.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Conservative Coulter Fan

The Rats want to capitate medicare. In other words have bad deals like scam insurance policies with “up to’s”. 100% coverage...up to 10,000 and so forth.Unbelievable. A Dr. would get a certain amount...per head per year. It is going to be 3rd world America.


5 posted on 05/29/2011 12:02:10 PM PDT by screaminsunshine (Socialism...Easier said than done.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

You are welcome. I hate ambiguity. Conservatives need to address Medicare and have a debate among themselves about this entitlement program. What happens when you don’t are a lot of befuddled, puzzling responses to liberals when they challenge our core positions using this issue.


6 posted on 05/29/2011 12:03:02 PM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan ("The liberal agenda is the liberal neurosis made manifest."--Lyle H. Rossiter, Jr., M.D.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Conservative Coulter Fan

Maybe it is too far gone to “save”. I think so. We may have to let the Rats collapse the whole economy before people wake up.


7 posted on 05/29/2011 12:03:44 PM PDT by screaminsunshine (Socialism...Easier said than done.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: ExtremeUnction

It is a 3rd rail.
What will folks do without it?

Company’s have stripped medical coverage from our pensions.
Cobra is going to cost you 20k a year just for premiums let alone copays.

A lot of folks would be up the creek without medicare.
That said, there is tremendous waste in medicare.


8 posted on 05/29/2011 12:04:56 PM PDT by mylife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: mylife

So are you saying the government should a) have a rold in health care, b) provide health care to Americans, and c) Americans are just unable to provide for themselves? And please don’t get upset, I’m just asking questions about your view.


9 posted on 05/29/2011 12:08:22 PM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan ("The liberal agenda is the liberal neurosis made manifest."--Lyle H. Rossiter, Jr., M.D.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Conservative Coulter Fan

role*


10 posted on 05/29/2011 12:08:58 PM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan ("The liberal agenda is the liberal neurosis made manifest."--Lyle H. Rossiter, Jr., M.D.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Conservative Coulter Fan

It’s the wrong issue.

Medicaid and gimme handout free money from Obama’s unlimted stash as well as state-funded welfare entitlements are going to catch up with us sooner than Medicare, which is a hot-button (”you’re killing Grandma!”) issue.


11 posted on 05/29/2011 12:09:30 PM PDT by bigbob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Conservative Coulter Fan

the problem with medicare is that it caused repeat business on a grand scale.


12 posted on 05/29/2011 12:09:54 PM PDT by Sacajaweau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: screaminsunshine

The point of my discussion is not about “saving” the entitlement program. Should conservatives be against Medicare?


13 posted on 05/29/2011 12:10:12 PM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan ("The liberal agenda is the liberal neurosis made manifest."--Lyle H. Rossiter, Jr., M.D.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Conservative Coulter Fan

I’m just saying they ARE in the business of heath care.
They have us enrolled in it whether we like it or not, and when folks PAY into a system all their lives they will squeal if you try to take it away.


14 posted on 05/29/2011 12:11:47 PM PDT by mylife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Conservative Coulter Fan
Are Conservatives Afraid to Takedown Medicare?

Yes.

What language is the best to learn for an American, Chinese?

15 posted on 05/29/2011 12:14:21 PM PDT by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bigbob
It is not the wrong issue. It is a fundamental question about where conservatives out to stand on the issue that will become the entire theme Obama and the Democrats hope to ride on all the way to 2012.

And Medicare is the largest of the entitlement program problems and I'll quote Robert Fischer, the CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas: " Medicare Part A, which covers hospital stays; Medicare B, which covers doctor visits; and Medicare D, the drug benefit that went into effect just 29 months ago. The infinite-horizon present discounted value of the unfunded liability for Medicare A is $34.4 trillion. The unfunded liability of Medicare B is an additional $34 trillion. The shortfall for Medicare D adds another $17.2 trillion. The total? If you wanted to cover the unfunded liability of all three programs today, you would be stuck with an $85.6 trillion bill. That is more than six times as large as the bill for Social Security. It is more than six times the annual output of the entire U.S. economy."
16 posted on 05/29/2011 12:15:10 PM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan ("The liberal agenda is the liberal neurosis made manifest."--Lyle H. Rossiter, Jr., M.D.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Conservative Coulter Fan

I’ll tell ya what.
I got a job with medical benefits as part of my pension, which is part of my compensation package and it makes me mad as hell that after 15 years the company just takes it off the table.
At a minimum I should receive a lump sum based on weighted loss of benefits.

After all, it was agreed that this was part of my wage compensation package.

Similarly, I PAY into Medicare, and if you take it away I want my money back.


17 posted on 05/29/2011 12:17:43 PM PDT by mylife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Conservative Coulter Fan

No they should not have come out reforming before they stopped Obamacare. Big Mistake in my opinion. Or they wanted to put it out and then make a deal with less benefits and higher taxes. That is what I think will happen as soon as the Rats and RINOS do the Dog and Pony Dance for a while then manufacture an “Emergency Crisis”.


18 posted on 05/29/2011 12:20:26 PM PDT by screaminsunshine (Socialism...Easier said than done.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: mylife

Medicare is a pay-as-you-go program and I’ll very well concede that people dependent on the Government are more than reluctant to let go of entitlements, but they should be made to listen to the fact that their entitlement is not sustainable and when the tsunami of debt crashes down on us...there isn’t going to be any Medicare for anyone or much of an economy or America. I think it highlights the danger of being dependent on the government for our needs and the challenge of fiscal conservatism and small government.


19 posted on 05/29/2011 12:21:26 PM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan ("The liberal agenda is the liberal neurosis made manifest."--Lyle H. Rossiter, Jr., M.D.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Conservative Coulter Fan

We will have Triage Medical Care. For those who are not Party Members. Party Members will get the best of the best. The higher in the Party you are the better care you will receive.


20 posted on 05/29/2011 12:22:41 PM PDT by screaminsunshine (Socialism...Easier said than done.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson