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Gingrich: I oppose Paul Ryan’s Medicare reform but support a “variation” of the individual mandate
Hotair ^ | 05/15/2011 | Allahpundit

Posted on 05/15/2011 7:11:01 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Says Andrew Stiles of NRO, “Newt Gingrich’s appearance on ‘Meet the Press’ today could leave some wondering which party’s nomination he is running for.” DrewM at Ace’s site thinks it’s yet another illustration of Newt’s loose-cannon lack of message discipline, but I can’t believe that; he surely must have considered how this will play in the primaries, especially after the pounding Romney just took on the right for his health-care speech. What’s his strategy? Maybe he’s decided his shot at the nomination is so long that his only chance is by Mediscaring seniors, who famously turn out in high numbers at the polls, into backing him. Paul Ryan’s budget has played remarkably well with the 65+ crowd thus far, but an AP poll taken late last year, before he introduced his plan, found even Republican seniors opposed privatizing Medicare to the tune of 71 percent. If professional Smart Guy Newt Gingrich is now warning them that Ryan’s gone too far, their jitters about reform may make them inclined to believe him. It’s desperate, but since he’s not going to win with support from the GOP’s right, why not pander to its left? I just hope he’s prepared for the relentless beating he’ll rightly take in conservative media for kneecapping Ryan at a moment when deficit hawks are frantic to move national opinion on entitlement reform via a unified party message. He’s handed the left a campaign commercial here and they’re already using it.

As for his point about mandates, Gregory’s question was presumably inspired by this recent HuffPo piece. Here was Newt’s chance to climb down from his previous Romney-ish rhetoric about our individual duty to buy coverage. But … nope. He’s still all for it — not for a mandate specifically, mind you, but for variations on it, like having to post a bond. What his strategy in the primaries is in taking that position, I have no idea. If anything, it gives Romney a bit of cover by now being able to claim (a) that the mandate isn’t as fringe as conservatives would like to believe and (b) that Mitt’s the more responsible of the two since at least he doesn’t want anything like this at the federal level. Any theories on what Gingrich was thinking here? I’m mystified.

Update: Via NRO, a pointed rejoinder from Ryan’s spokesman:

“The solutions offered by Chairman Ryan and advanced by House Republicans make no changes to Medicare for those in and near retirement, while offering a strengthened, personalized program that future generations can count on when they retire,” Sweeney says. “Far from claims of radicalism, the gradual, common-sense Medicare reforms ensure that no senior will be forced to reorganize their lives because of government’s mistakes. The most ‘radical’ course of action on Medicare is continue to cling to the unsustainable status quo.”

“Serious leaders,” he adds, without naming names, “owe seniors specific solutions to avert Medicare’s looming collapse.”



CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: fung; healthcare; newtgingrich; paulryan
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1 posted on 05/15/2011 7:11:04 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

In that case, he’s qualified to run as a Democrat. Certainly not as a Republican.

Go away, NG. Just go away.


2 posted on 05/15/2011 7:13:15 PM PDT by savedbygrace (But God.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Gee, what a surprise. Newt screwing up things yet again.


3 posted on 05/15/2011 7:13:30 PM PDT by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
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To: SeekAndFind

Update: Via NRO, a pointed rejoinder from Ryan’s spokesman:

“The solutions offered by Chairman Ryan and advanced by House Republicans make no changes to Medicare for those in and near retirement, while offering a strengthened, personalized program that future generations can count on when they retire,” Sweeney says. “Far from claims of radicalism, the gradual, common-sense Medicare reforms ensure that no senior will be forced to reorganize their lives because of government’s mistakes. The most ‘radical’ course of action on Medicare is continue to cling to the unsustainable status quo.”

“Serious leaders,” he adds, without naming names, “owe seniors specific solutions to avert Medicare’s looming collapse.”

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/05/15/gingrich-i-oppose-paul-ryans-medicare-reform-but-support-a-variation-of-the-individual-mandate/


4 posted on 05/15/2011 7:14:03 PM PDT by Hotlanta Mike (TeaNami)
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To: SeekAndFind

5 posted on 05/15/2011 7:15:45 PM PDT by South40 (Ron Paul and his flaming antiwar spam monkeys can Kiss my Ass!!" -- Jim Robinson, 09/30/07)
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To: SeekAndFind

If true he is TOAST!


6 posted on 05/15/2011 7:16:52 PM PDT by MtnClimber (Osama and Obama both have friends that bombed the Pentagon.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Amazing - HOW TOTALLY TONE DEAF can one man be... Shoot yourself in the foot there Newt? Good God Almighty - Stupid is as Stupid does...


7 posted on 05/15/2011 7:16:56 PM PDT by ICCtheWay
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To: SeekAndFind

What a fat F*****K! He is so over-the-hill he has no business being in the primaries. He is the epitome of what is wrong with the Republicans.

May he fade away fast.


8 posted on 05/15/2011 7:18:29 PM PDT by x1stcav (Obama: The Mistake of '08.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Shut up, Newt. Just. Shut. Up.


9 posted on 05/15/2011 7:19:07 PM PDT by Colonel_Flagg ("It's hard to take the president seriously." - Jim DeMint)
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To: SeekAndFind
The press will try to make him the front runner. They would love to create a “healthcare” debate within the Republican Party.

Newt, you don't have to verbalize every errant thought that wanders into your cranium. For the sake of the party...please shut up.

10 posted on 05/15/2011 7:22:35 PM PDT by Tex-Con-Man
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To: SeekAndFind

Fear of success? Wth else would he do something this bizarre?


11 posted on 05/15/2011 7:22:45 PM PDT by riri
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To: South40

LOL (literally).

Greengrich being too clever by half yet again.


12 posted on 05/15/2011 7:23:17 PM PDT by Hunton Peck (See my FR homepage for a list of businesses that support WI Gov. Scott Walker)
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: SeekAndFind

Wasn’t Gingrich’s “wither and die on the vine” comment based on a Gingrich proposal for a program very similar to what Ryan has proposed?


14 posted on 05/15/2011 7:24:52 PM PDT by magellan
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To: SeekAndFind

Newt is still Toast


15 posted on 05/15/2011 7:26:32 PM PDT by MissDairyGoodnessVT (I am keeping the faith, I have not finished my course and I am fighting for the good)
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To: SeekAndFind

Newt is still Toast


16 posted on 05/15/2011 7:26:41 PM PDT by MissDairyGoodnessVT (I am keeping the faith, I have not finished my course and I am fighting for the good)
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To: South40

HAHAHAHA!!! brilliant.


17 posted on 05/15/2011 7:27:42 PM PDT by visualops (Proud Air Force Mom)
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To: SeekAndFind; pgkdan

pgkdan,

Care to comment on the latest proof, from his own mouth no less, of the RINO nature of Newt Gingrich?


18 posted on 05/15/2011 7:27:53 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
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To: magellan

Glad I hung up on when this clown’s staff called my house looking for support.


19 posted on 05/15/2011 7:28:07 PM PDT by CommieCutter (Promote Liberal Extinction: Support gay marriage and abortion!)
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To: SeekAndFind

So long Newt.

Don’t bother even communicating your perspectives.


20 posted on 05/15/2011 7:28:22 PM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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