Mitt Romney says Obama 'robbed' Medicare of $716 billion. True? (Some analysts say it's inaccurate)

CS Monitor ^ | 08/16/2012 | Peter Grier

[lodi90]

“A lot of Obama’s claims about future savings to medicare will undoubtedly fail to materialize.”

Yep. Kenyancare is a defined benefit program. We know how well that is working these days.

The whole obamacare program is flim flam designed to get the socialized medicine camel nose into the tent. Hopefully these medicare cuts make that obvious.

[Intolerant in NJ]

For instance, the ACA cuts many of the payments Medicare makes in its fee-for-service system to hospitals, nurses, and other health-care providers...yeah, and the latest disingenuous argument from the 'rats is that Obama's plan doesn't actually take any money from seniors, only from providers - of course, technically Medicare doesn't give any money to seniors anyway; seniors receive medical services and Medicare sends the money to the providers in payment - but when you're desperate for an argument, any halftruth will do.......

[ConjunctionJunction]

I would rather see Romney/Ryan turn the 2009 Obama/Tapper interview into a campaign ad. Use his own words against him. And play it over and over again until the election. ;-)

[preamble]

Yes. That would be the second ad to run.

RUN it OVER AND OVER.

[Kickass Conservative]

Oh how they forget. When running for President back in 2004, John F’n Kerry said of the Republican House Budget Proposal, reducing the size of a planned increase in spending IS A CUT.

Of course, this is the same John F’n Kerry who married to gain his Wealth, estimated to be three times as large as Romney's. Anyone here recall Kerry releasing 12 years of Tax Returns or being attacked for not doing so?

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

My point is more along the lines of:

It’s immoral to worry yourself/ourselves about details and nuances and even if we’re accurate, because if we do not force the Dems onto some kind of defensive stance, the freedom to examine and ponder nuance will cease to exist.

Yell at them, and make them feel weird. That’s what I’m sayin’.

Nobody can predict the future. The Ryan plan, the this plan, the that plan, are artifices that maybe will and maybe will not get through Congressional approval in a recognizable format. There is no way to predict what may have to be given away alongside the Ryan plan in order to get it approved. Hell, it may even be found Unconstitutional. Then what?

So to become attached to it as if it is written in stone is deluded, IMO. What’s useful is to browbeat the opposition. Outsloganize them. “You didn’t build that. You stole that.” That works for me.

[Hokestuk]

Obamacare bankrupts Medicare in another decade or so.

Then it's single payer. Victory for o.

[FredZarguna]

Which suggests that Politifact is not a reliable source for determining fact

Ya think?

http://politifactbias.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with this web site. I just like it.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”Mitt Romney is hammering President Obama with the allegation that he's robbed Medicare to pay for Obamacare. But analysts suggest that's not an accurate appraisal of Obama’s plan.”

Because Medicare is now largely paid for by trading in the Medicare IOUs for money borrowed by the Treasury that future taxpayers and retireee’s will pay for, Obama can spend the $700B on other stuff while cutting Medicare by the $700B (not even sure he did this because he added other spending to medicare too at least short term) and claim it extends Medicare because those IOUs are redeemed slower.

So if Obama adds $7T to the national debt (with the help of congress) but redeems those Medicare IOUs more slowly does that extend the life of Medicare??? In the imaginary ‘trust fund’ world of both parties (DC) he is telling the truth. In the REAL world which I try to live in they are screwing us leaving us NOTHING.

[mkjessup]

Hey FRiend, do us all a favor when posting excerpts from articles that refer to "president 0bama" and drop that title completely because the dirty Kenyan sonuvabitch is not worthy of, NOR eligible for that title, ok?

OR: at the very minimum, make the 'r' in 'president' upper case to emphasize the word 'pResident.

Some might say this is nit-picking however a clear and unmistakable contrast must be made between previous Presidents and the filthy lying goon who is currently stinking up the White House. I would like to see ALL FReepers make a conscious effort to NOT associate 0bama with the word 'president', it's the least we all can do to deny the father-of-a-thousand-Trayvons the dignity he has done nothing to deserve.

[trebb]

For instance, the ACA cuts many of the payments Medicare makes in its fee-for-service system to hospitals, nurses, and other health-care providers. (Doctors would not be affected by this payment squeeze.)

How can they cut the payments and not squeeze the doctors?

[neveralib]

Who cares if its true or not (though until proven to be false by a "reliable" source, we here know it to be factual) why not take a page from the dissembling, corrupt, lying, RATS?

Reminder of their mantra: "It's not the nature of the evidence, but the seriousness of the charge." ...

All Mitt/Ryan need to do is keep hammering this over and over and over, especially to states with lots of Seniors like Florida.

About time the Pubes start using a little scare tactics of their own.

[TornadoAlley3]

Agree, but also show, as this letter proves, Obama has ignored the law, and ignored saving/fixing Medicare, in addition to cutting it.

[dalebert]

lol..does that mean funds must come from tax? I do remember when they passed the bill to fund O care with the 700 billion from medicare. Of course none of the money is there to fund anything. DC has spent everything and we dont know where the money went. It was part of Obama’s promise not to tax for Ocare. Lies of course. The healthcare issue is just a way to get more cash to DC.

[Vinnie]

Funny, how they can vet every Romney ad but turn a blind eye to the Obama/Biden BS. And the old argument of reduced increase called a 'cut', when it suits their fancy agenda.

[Huskrrrr]

Yes, you are correct. Thanks.