Networks Falsely Slam Ryan as Spending Cutter Who Could ‘Destroy’ Medicare

NewsBusters.org ^ | August 11, 2012 | Rich Noyes

[Kaslin]

Previewing the choice of Paul Ryan as the GOP vice presidential candidate, the ABC, CBS and NBC morning shows all used Democratic framing to describe the House GOP budget plan that Ryan championed as a plan to, as CBS’s Bob Schieffer put it, “cut more than $5 trillion over the next ten years.” ABC’s Bianna Golodryga passed along the demagogic rhetoric of liberals: “Democrats, meantime, contest that it will destroy Medicare and Social Security.”

But Ryan’s plan would actually increase federal spending over the next ten years, from about $3.6 trillion this year to just under $4.9 trillion in 2022. The $5 trillion in “cuts” are merely reductions from the much-higher spending anticipated by President Obama’s budget. (See tables starting on page 88.)

While Ryan’s approach — assuming it passed and future Congresses continued to abide by its limits —  would slow the growth in federal spending so it would amount to just under 20% of the overall economy, it also forecasts uninterrupted budget deficits (and, therefore, a rising national debt) through 2022. Yet not one of the morning shows today carried any suggestion that Ryan should be criticized for taking too mild an approach to the fiscal crisis.

Instead, the networks all included some variation of the Democratic charge that Ryan’s plan would include, as ABC’s Golodryga claimed, “sharp cuts in federal spending.” CBS and NBC even cited Newt Gingrich as an authority, recalling his quickly-retracted “right-wing social engineering” slam from early last year.

NBC’s Chuck Todd argued that Democrats have “successfully” used Ryan’s plan as a campaign tactic “in some congressional races, we are seeing it get some traction, basically running against the idea of what Ryan wants to do to Medicare. Help Democrats in Senate races in some red states.”

Of course, the Democrats owe much of their success in demonizing the Ryan plan to the so-called “news” media, which mis-portrays it as deeply cutting spending, as opposed to mildly slowing the growth of spending.

Key quotes from the August 11 morning shows, all of which aired a couple of hours before Mitt Romney made the official announcement of Ryan’s selection:
 

# ABC’s Good Morning America:

BIANNA GOLODRYGA: A bold choice, but not one without risks. Paul Ryan is 42-years-old. He’s been elected to the House from his district in Wisconsin seven times, but he’s now best-known for his controversial budget proposal, which some within his own party has distanced themselves from. He’s pushing for sharp cuts in federal spending, including programs like Medicare. Now, his proposal is set to be a focal point of this election. Will Republicans be forced to fully embrace it now? Democrats, meantime, contest that it will destroy Medicare and Social Security.

# CBS This Morning

BOB SCHIEFFER: I think conservatives are going to be delighted. They’re going to say that Mitt Romney finally did something bold. This is what the Wall Street Journal was urging, this is what the Weekly Standard, Bill Kristol, a strong voice of conservatism -- both were saying this week this is the guy.

But I tell you the other part, Rebecca, is I think Democrats are going to be delighted as well. Because Paul Ryan’s budget, it’s right there in black and white. The numbers are there. He wants to cut more than $5 trillion over the next ten years. But where he cuts is where Democrats are going to try to make it an issue. He wants to cut spending from Medicaid. He wants to cut spending for Food Stamps, for student loans. All of these social programs. He also wants to change Medicare. He wants to have seniors buy insurance, and they will get a government subsidy to help them do that.

So this campaign has now been joined. It’s been really about silly stuff up until now quite frankly in my view. Now it’s going to be about something, about what do we want to do with these social programs- and government spending. Where do we want to make these cuts.

You know, back there early on, I remember in the Republican campaign, Newt Gingrich actually said, well, he branded Paul Ryan’s budget ‘right-wing social engineering.’ And he said, you know, that’s no more welcome than left-wing social engineering. So, we’ll see where he comes down on it now.

# NBC’s Today:

DAVID GREGORY: He’s part of a conservative wave in the House of Representatives who put his own name to the House budget blueprint which was pretty controversial. It didn’t pass. It talked about cutting spending and also changing the Medicare program for seniors, introducing the voucher program. Made it very controversial from the start. Even among some fellow Republicans. Newt Gingrich notably called it right wing social engineering. But conservatives have rallied around Paul Ryan. He talks in big, bold strokes about the fiscal crisis, the debt crisis, and he’s going to be a powerful voice for Mitt Romney on dealing with both the economy and the fiscal crisis that the country faces, but there are downsides as well.

LESTER HOLT: And Chuck, before I turn to you, we’ve just learned that the app that the campaign has put together has formally confirmed the pick of Paul Ryan as the VP candidate. But, Chuck, let me ask you -- the notion that this now turns the conversation toward deficit cutting, towards the budget, does it cut both ways for Republicans here? Does it open them up for more criticism on that side?

CHUCK TODD: Well, it could. I mean, it’s gonna put this issue of Medicare, the future of Medicare, the future of Social Security, but Medicare in particular, that’s the centerpiece of Paul Ryan’s budget reform plan that he put out both last year and this year. Democrats politically have been able to successfully use this in some congressional races, we are seeing it get some traction, basically running against the idea of what Ryan wants to do to Medicare. Help Democrats in Senate races in some red states. So this has a lot of downside as well.

[backwoods-engineer]

I WANT Medicare destroyed.

It is not something the federal government should be doing anyway. Let the states have their own welfare programs. And let the producers move outta those states.

[comebacknewt]

So, so, so predictable. It will sway a lot of idiot voters as well.

While I love Paul Ryan, I think politically his pick will hurt Romney quite a bit.

[Cheerio]

Networks Falsely Slam Ryan as Spending Cutter Who Could ‘Destroy’ Medicare

Wake up America - anyone that is above room temperature should SEE that it is the RAT party that is taking down Meidcare. See my post here

[manc]

I got slammed for that view too last night.

While I like Ryan I have to think of other states. It is not us conservatives which win elections though to some you think it was.

Here in FL we have so many old people and sadly many of them trust the media and do think the AD’s are truthful.

If the GOP act like they did in2008 then it’s over, if they get out there and fight tooth and nail here in FL a state which is must win then we can do it.

I had one poster telling me VA and FL were not southern states, HUH
.
I had another tell me to hell with FL.

Emotion thinking does not get us where we need to be and sadly we have so many on both sides whio use emotions and ignorance instead of their brains

[RIghtwardHo]

Here’s the thing about Ryan . . .I like him. Really do. However, I think he makes Romney’s chance pretty much impossible.

MAYBE if Romney had the upper hand in this race going into this pick. Far from it. The MSM is going to CRUCIFY Ryan. Romney’s almost dead anyway so I guess he had to try a Hail Mary.

Quite frankly, I think the GOP elite now realize they stand no chance in November and that they are positioning Ryan for 2016.

[duckman]

“BIANNA GOLODRYGA: ...but he’s now best-known for his controversial budget proposal,...”

You people made it controversial, our side think it’s common sense.

[txrefugee]

Let Medicare go totally broke. ObamaCare will take half a billion dollars out of the program and start rationing care for the elderly who the government deems
“non-productive.”

Medicare only benefits the foreign doctors who flood Florida in order to make millions in Medicare fraud. Doctors should quit taking Medicare patients like me because they are pitifully underpaid for their services by Medicare. The Medicare paper-shufflers and the swindlers are the ones making the money.

[comebacknewt]

I think you may be right. Another possibility is that they may have made Ryan a sacrificial lamb in order to preserve the political viability of others like Martinez and Rubio who they may want to run in 2016 or beyond and see as better overall candidates. They surely don’t want them associated with a blowout loss.

I sure hope we are wrong, but I do think this pick turns the election sharply Obama’s favor. Romney may wind up winning fewer states than McCain, and I never would have thought that possible in this cycle.

[dandiegirl]

Romney and Ryan just better make darn sure they can explain this and not wimp out and let the satans in the media paint him the way they want to. It’s time to get nasty with the press and the liberals.

[KantianBurke]

“But Ryan’s plan would actually increase federal spending over the next ten years, from about $3.6 trillion this year to just under $4.9 trillion in 2022.”

This is a plus?! You’ve got to be kidding me.

[Mouton]

ryan has one big problem when dealing with the dopes who elect people, he does not subscribe to the adage: tell the people what they want to hear and they never question what you say. If anyone was running an honest election, their mantra would be: The government needs to cut all entitlement and pension programs across the board by 20% immediately just to have a fighting chance of saving the nation. That means across the board, period, no sacred cows, no it is not fair...no nothing. From there they should be projected to go up less than the annual computed CPI, say 1-2% less then the CPI.

After that, the moochers need be told income taxes will be across the board beginning at 5% from dollar one. You get the beneies, you pay. You don’t want an army too bad, pay. You don’t drive, too bad, pay.

Assuming we get our current fiscal program in order with the above, then we can begin making some inroads on the huge debt we have accumulated. First order of business, no more trust funds, everything is pay as you go. Therefore any bonds we owe to ourselves, cancel them which would remove about 5Trillion for the over all debt...so no more accounting gymics about paying interest to ourselves.

[bigbob]

I disagree with just about all of your theories.

By picking Ryan, Romney has defined the election to be focused on the economy, federal spending, and debt. That’s what matters most to the largest number of people, R, D, or I, liberal or conservative. It will force Obama to run on the foremost issue on which his record can be judged, and on which he fails miserably.

The Democrats would hae loved to make this election one of Rubio’s past and parentage, or about some bombastic comment made by Christie in the heat of passion. Instead, Romney has them outsmarted and outmaneuvered right from the get go, and this election will be centered on the #1 issue that matters most.

[jeffc]

"...controversial budget proposal..."

There's that word again. Everything libs don't like is "controversial". Screw them (and that Bianna is easy on the eyes.....).

[chuckee]

The Federal government spends 900 billion a year on medicaid/medicare while collecting 100 billion annually thru the medicare portion of the FICA tax. That is a running 800 billion dollar annual deficit.Medicare/medicaid is the bulk of our federal deficit. All else including social security pales to this mother of all entitlements. At least Ryan addresses the issue in his budget plan.How would the vacuous news readers on the networks fill this 800 billion dollar hole. The Dems should choke on their own demagoguery.

[VanDeKoik]

Yeah he should have chosen a liberal. That would really get stuff going.

FR is such a goofy place. Supposed conservatives want a conservative for VP then moan that it’s too much!

They scream about the MSM, then they act afraid of them.

[steve86]

I got slammed for that view too last night.

As did I. Even if he was the PERFECT GOP VP candidate in terms of conservative positions and personal attributes (he isn't, but close), he still brings the real possibility of subtracting votes. He is a sitting duck in terms of inviting demagoguery.

[Kaslin]

I WANT Medicare destroyed.

It is not something the federal government should be doing anyway. Let the states have their own welfare programs. And let the producers move outta those states.

Aren't you confusing Medicare with Medicaid?

I am a Senior citizen and on Social Security and Medicare and believe it it's not free. I paid for it when I was working and am still paying for it. Unlike those who are on Medicaid.

I would have thought that Freepers are more informed

[steve86]

Supposed conservatives want a conservative for VP then moan that it’s too much!

This particular candidate has a neon target-bullseye painted on him. It isn't necessary to pick someone who carries that baggage with him. In fact, it is a guaranteed losing strategy.

[Salvation]

The lamestream media is already at it.