Posted on 06/13/2011 10:43:36 PM PDT by fabrizio
(CNSNews.com) - Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R.-Pa.) drew a sharp distinction between himself and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) in the Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire Monday night when he firmly endorsed House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R.-Wis.) Medicare reform plan immediately after Gingrich reiterated his reservations about the plan.
After Gingrich said Republicans should “slow down” on Medicare reform and that there were “certain things” he would do differently than Ryan in reforming Medicare, debate moderator John King of CNN asked Santorum if Republicans should slow down.
Santorum said, “No.”
“We have a $1.4 trillion deficit and it isn’t getting any better any time soon. We have to deal with this problem now,” said Santorum. “And what Paul Ryan is suggesting, which I wholeheartedly support, is to use a program that is identical to what seniors already have. It is called Medicare Part D.” Medicare Part D is the Medicare prescription drug program.
“They have a program right now which seniors like. It is a program that is called a premium support program,” said Santorum. “You give seniors, depending on income, a certain amount of money so they can go out and they can purchase health care that they want that helps them. And this is the key, John: We need to include seniors in controlling costs.”
Santorum said that Obamacare is about to put in place the exact opposite: a system in which the government controls costs through rationing. “What President Obama has done is he put in, in the Obamacare bill, the Independent Payment Advisory Board,” said Santorum. “Ladies and gentleman, seniors, Medicare is going to be cut starting in 2014 by the federal government and it is going to be rationing of care from the top down. “What Paul Ryan and Rick Santorum want to do—which is not radical—which is take a program, Medicare Prescription Drug, that is 41 percent under budget because seniors are involved in controlling costs and apply it all to Medicare,” said Santorum[...]
Ginrich seems to have changed a lot since Contract with America days. I am wondering if he is not feeling a little displaced because Ryan has become the new policy guru of the Conservative movement, a position Ginrich used to hold—or at least so he thot.
HOORAY Rick!
“Slow down”? Hell, Barry has us sitting in da back!
Yeah I have to say, I thought Newt sounded the most intelligent but Rick did a good number on him with that one. Nice job Rick!
Paul Ryan’s plan shows courage and leadership.
Newt is nuts!
I don’t the exact Ryan’s exact plan, but I assume it’s voucher based. Medicare MUST MUST MUST be reformed and generally speaking that is one way to go about doing that. Either way, it can’t stay exactly the same. We just can’t afford it.
Thanks fabrizio.
Gingrich, like Romney, is a DNC saboteur. A poser
for the DNC.
Everything the GOP wants, Gringrich will go against,
while he takes his private planes home.
Santorum did well But I think it was Bachman who Explained that Obamacare is taking 500 billion from Medicare and Transferring it to Obamacare and to Younger People and is going to Ration care to Seniors. THAT is the Money Line of the Night,Because that is EXACTLY what is going to Happen to seniors and who ever the Candidate is Should pound that point Home and Michelle Bachman is the only one to Bring it up. Its Cass Sundstein and Ezekiel Emmnauel the Behind the scenes Henchman of Obama whos Names should become PUBLIC NOW !
Too bad Bachmann threw, THREW, her chances away.
So many LIKED her to last week.
But Rollins-Romney was there to CHANGE ALL THAT.
If Rollins is still working for Bachmann, she is effectively over before she begins.
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