Republican budget plan falls flat with the public

Is it just us, or was Paul Ryan foolish to start using the word “Mediscare” to describe the Democrats’ opposition to his plan? Because when you hear “Mediscare,” you don’t think, “Oh, the Democrats are just trying to scare me. I’m sure the Ryan budget is perfectly innocuous.” No; you think, “Oh no! Someone’s trying to take my Medicare away, and I’m scared!” Anyway, this is a shocking, rare PR victory for the Democrats, so let’s let them cherish it for the ten minutes it’ll take before they inevitably blow it and do something stupid. source

Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

He’s done. He didn’t have a big chance from the beginning, but now it’s over. … Reagan had the 11th commandment. Thou shalt not attack fellow Republicans. This [calling the Ryan budget “social engineering”] is a capital offense against the 11th commandment. He won’t recover.
Charles Krauthammer • Speaking on Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign. It’s been a rough few days for Newt, whose fluctuations from one policy position to the next (some of which we highlighted yesterday) have led many conservatives to begin heaping the dirt on his fledgling candidacy. Krauthammer is a venerated voice in the sphere of conservative opinion, and this one hurts. In addition, it calls attention to one of the chief differences between the two major parties. The idea of a Democratic “11th commandment” is utterly non-existent, as Democratic jockeying and infighting has become a staple of Beltway politics, especially in recent years (this is always our favorite example). Maybe Newt could switch parties? “I never said I was a Republican” would be rather in line with his contradictions of late. source

Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

[We’ll] see if Republican senators like the Ryan budget as much as their House colleagues did.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid • Speaking on a conference call to reporters about his plan to force a vote on Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget in the Senate. This is prototypical “hardball” politics, and implies a more aggressive Harry Reid than we’ve typically seen. Basically, the Ryan budget calls for Medicare privatization, an enormously unpopular idea with the American public. Having seen the boisterous reactions GOP House members have weathered since returning to their home districts, Reid now knows he can force the Republican senators either to vote for it and poison their records, or vote against it, abandoning the lockstep unity congressional Republicans showed off so well during the first two years of President Obama’s term. It’s the obvious political move, and a potent one to boot. source

Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jun 2011 01:47