More Republican Congressmen Face Town Hall Backlash Over Tax Breaks For Wealthy And Medicare Privatization

[Baculus]

This is somewhat related to the thread, "Tea Partiers Don't Like Medicaid, Medicare Cuts," started by DRSmith, but since this is also related to tax cuts, and I don't know if all of these townhall meeting attendees are tea partiers, I thought I would start a separate thread.

"Earlier this week, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) held town halls across his district to defend his budget’s plan to end Medicare and extend tax cuts for the wealthy. During a stop in Milton, WI Ryan’s constituents made their feelings apparent, booing down the seven-term congressman when he defended tax breaks for the rich, as ThinkProgress first reported. Yesterday, Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) received the same hostile reception from his constituents for voting to end Medicare.

"This town hall backlash is now spreading to other districts across the country. As Huffington Post reports, freshmen Reps. Robert Dold (R-IL) and Charlie Bass (R-NH) got an earful from their constituents for voting in favor of the Republican budget this month. During a Buffalo Grove, IL town hall, Dold caught a lot of flack for supporting corporate tax breaks and voting to end Medicare."

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/21/gop-congressmen-town-hall-backlash/

People really shouldn't cast their ballot for a politician before finding out what that person really wants to do.

[Thiebear]

Think Progress = Washington Examiner and Brietbart and Newsmax: They shouldn't be used as a source for anything.

I didn't know Ryan's plan ends Medicare, that would be unacceptable... those that have a real need should absolutely receive.

[luckydevil]

Think progress is seriously awful partisan garbage. But the story isn't wrong.

[LadySkinsFan]

Looks like those bait and switch chickens are coming home to roost for the Republicans. To bad.

[Larry]

Uh, can you post some links to these people who are supposedly on record actually casting votes for ending Medicare?

The liberal media must not have told me about that.

[LadySkinsFan]

Uh, can you post some links to these people who are supposedly on record actually casting votes for ending Medicare?

The liberal media must not have told me about that.

Know how to Google? They just passed it in the House of Representative. I think it's called "Plan for Prosperity" although the only ones who propser are the corporations.

[skinfan2k]

Obama is causing internal chaos between the republicans. Have fun next election he says

[Bang]

Ought to be video of this somewhere, I'd figure.

~bang

[Baculus]

Think Progress = Washington Examiner and Brietbart and Newsmax: They shouldn't be used as a source for anything.

I didn't know Ryan's plan ends Medicare, that would be unacceptable... those that have a real need should absolutely receive.

Rubbish. ThinkProgress (TP) sources all of their articles -- they just don't invoke conspiracy theories, like a NewsMax, nor do certainly engage in the out-and-out lies in the same manner as a Breibart.

Do you even know anything about them, or do you simply hear the title of the webpage before engaging in some "equivalency" game?

Funny enough, you don't even know anything about Ryan's plan, but here you are attacking TP without any due cause, as if the article gave you any reason to do so.

---------- Post added April-22nd-2011 at 02:37 AM ----------

Uh, can you post some links to these people who are supposedly on record actually casting votes for ending Medicare?

The liberal media must not have told me about that.

This really isn't very hard to find. TP itself has done several articles relating to the Ryan budget. Heck, as it is, the GOP have been trying to privatize Medicare for years. It was just last year when I was criticizing their double speak, where they'd go in front of conservative organizations, speak on the need to end ("transition") Medicare into a voucher ssytem, while then going in front of their constituents (especially the elderly) and denying any such efforts. It's two-faced and disingenuous.

Seriously, this has been going on for a long, long time.

---------- Post added April-22nd-2011 at 02:48 AM ----------

Think progress is seriously awful partisan garbage. But the story isn't wrong.

"Partisan garbage"?

They certainly are partisan, but garbage? Can you actually back up your statement?

Ya know, it is a bit tiresome to hear these sort of attacks on sites such as Media Matters and TP, both of whom actually CITE their articles (often with peer-reviewable sources), while those who attack these cites provide no justification, no proof, no nothing, in their assertions. And that that is they irony: they provide no evidence for their claims while attacking websites, MM and TP, that actually do.

Don't like TP because it is partisan? Fine. I don't blame you. But don't act as if these websites are aggregators for any old left-wing crap that comes down the pipe, because they aren't. They actually have people in the streets conducting interviews (with the actual people who in their articles), doing research, and engaging in journalism. And they have provide substantial opposition to the sort of policies they criticize.

A quaint concept, eh? Real journalism.

The funny thing is that you admit "the story isn't wrong." Maybe if some of us actually made an effort to read these websites we'd have some more informed opinions.

[JimboDaMan]

This really isn't very hard to find. TP itself has done several articles relating to the Ryan budget. Heck, as it is, the GOP have been trying to privatize Medicare for years. It was just last year when I was criticizing their double speak, where they'd go in front of conservative organizations, speak on the need to end ("transition") Medicare into a voucher ssytem, while then going in front of their constituents (especially the elderly) and denying any such efforts. It's two-faced and disingenuous.

Seriously, this has been going on for a long, long time.

I think the confusion arises from whether "ending Medicare" means "eliminating health care assistance for the elderly", or whether it means "replaced by a means-tested system of rationed health care". The first is something I haven't heard anyone propose, while the second is essentially what Ryan is pushing.

[twa]

I'm gonna back Bac on that....TP doesn't go for just any old left-wing crap.

They are connoisseurs of the poo.....and a fun read like the Examiner

[luckydevil]

Don't like TP because it is partisan? Fine. I don't blame you. But don't act as if these websites are aggregators for any old left-wing crap that comes down the pipe, because they aren't. They actually have people in the streets conducting interviews (with the actual people who in their articles), doing research, and engaging in journalism. And they have provide substantial opposition to the sort of policies they criticize.

A quaint concept, eh? Real journalism.

The funny thing is that you admit "the story isn't wrong." Maybe if some of us actually made an effort to read these websites we'd have some more informed opinions.

I am not sure what to tell you Bac. I am not into blue team vs red team garbage. I know you are, but it's not my thing. Partisan websites can do journalism, sure. Never suggested otherwise. I have visited tp numerous times. I am pretty well acquainted with most establishment progressive websites.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Ought to be video of this somewhere, I'd figure.

~bang

[mardi gras skin]

http://www.slate.com/id/2291844/

Democrats need some hot video of real, live Americans getting angry about Paul Ryan. How are they doing so far? For two days, a ThinkProgress video reporter tailed Paul Ryan in his district. The chairman of the budget committee talked to constituents. The reporter taped it. He talked to more constituents. The reporter taped it. It was at only one event, in the town of Milton, that one of Ryan's constituents grilled Ryan about taxes and ThinkProgress' reporter Scott Keyes got the video; according to ThinkProgress' editor-in-chief, Faiz Shakir, it was the best clip from two days' reporting.

[TheGoodBits]

video

Man that's hilarious.

[mardi gras skin]

If that's the worst backlash Ryan faced in a townhall meeting, he had a very enjoyable couple of days with his constituents.

[Burgold]

That video was pretty respectful and knowledgable. I loved how the guys in the audience were specific and knowledgable and when the Congressmen tried to spit out political platitudes they just weren't hearing it. Good for them.

[mardi gras skin]

I loved how the guys in the audience were specific and knowledgable and when the Congressmen tried to spit out political platitudes they just weren't hearing it. Good for them.

As a hit piece, the video was perfectly edited. But if you're interested in Ryan's answer to the question, it was cut short.

[Burgold]

Come on, Ryan as Porky Pig is lovel... don't ruin it

Abea, abea, abea, redistribea, abea, abea, trickle dowibea, ibea... that's all I got folks.

[Bang]

As a hit piece, the video was perfectly edited. But if you're interested in Ryan's answer to the question, it was cut short.

I don't know about that,, his answer is words I've heard before. Sounded like he was going to recite the lines there.

I do note that what Slate said is likely true, and the title should have read "congressMAN facES town hall backlash"... would have been a bit less leading.

Still, interesting video, (Thanks G) and if anything I do note that it appears to be actual discourse going on, in a polite manner with no one screeching and pointing fingers, in fact they seem to be enjoying themselves a bit. The fact that THAT would be such a ray of sunshine.. I'm not sure is such a good thing. But, I'll take it as proof that we're not as fractured as we may sometimes appear.

As a result, I feel better leaving this thread than when i came in.

~Bang

[Tulane Skins Fan]

Think Progress = Washington Examiner and Brietbart and Newsmax: They shouldn't be used as a source for anything.

I didn't know Ryan's plan ends Medicare, that would be unacceptable... those that have a real need should absolutely receive.

Maybe this is unfairly directed at you - or any single person - but I don't understand how people didn't get that. Its like Ryan somehow greased it right through that "oh yea, and we're getting rid of medicare and medicaid to save that money so that corporations can keep not paying taxes." It just doesn't make sense to me how it even took so long for people to realize what Ryan was talking about.

Then again, I don't understand how a whole crap load of people apparently didn't know Medicare was government run health care.

---------- Post added April-22nd-2011 at 09:36 AM ----------

http://www.slate.com/id/2291844/

Would you be more compelled if the democrats got their angry mobs together and starting yelling at Ryan to keep his government hands of their medicare?

[Thiebear]

Rubbish. ThinkProgress (TP) sources all of their articles -- they just don't invoke conspiracy theories, like a NewsMax, nor do certainly engage in the out-and-out lies in the same manner as a Breibart.

Do you even know anything about them, or do you simply hear the title of the webpage before engaging in some "equivalency" game?

Funny enough, you don't even know anything about Ryan's plan, but here you are attacking TP without any due cause, as if the article gave you any reason to do so.

Funny enough you are wrong. (in most cases I not only read the article but i read the underlying article or poll to see if its lazy reporting or smartly researched).

I stated you shouldn't normally use this site for posting and provided several republican trash sites that they say "link" to others also.

BUT after reading what it said I would agree with them.

I'm apparently not smart enough to tow the republican party line all of the time.

[twa]

Maybe this is unfairly directed at you - or any single person - but I don't understand how people didn't get that. Its like Ryan somehow greased it right through that "oh yea, and we're getting rid of medicare and medicaid to save that money so that corporations can keep not paying taxes." It just doesn't make sense to me how it even took so long for people to realize what Ryan was talking about.

How does that differ from Medicare Advantage or plan C programs?

[Tulane Skins Fan]

How does that differ from Medicare Advantage or plan C programs?

Can you expound on that?

[twa]

Can you expound on that?

Hell ,that was what I wanted you to do