Democrats and Republicans React to Ryan’s Selection for VP
Saturday, August 11, 2012
"Today’s announcement only reinforces the clear choice in this election," said Langevin. "By choosing Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate, Governor Romney has demonstrated his wholehearted support for the House Republican budget authored by Congressman Ryan. This proposal ends the Medicare guarantee as we know it and gives more and more breaks to the very wealthy, Wall Street and special interests, which our nation can’t afford, in the hope that the benefits will trickle down to everyone else. We tried that approach and it didn’t help the middle class, even before the recession.
"President Obama understands that it was a robust middle class that made us the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world and that when we pursue policies that support the middle class it gives increased opportunities to all Americans. We need to get rid of those unnecessary tax breaks and subsidies as we try to bring down our debt and get our fiscal house in order, while supporting policies that strengthen the middle class, such as improving education and job training."
"Paul Ryan represents a new generation for America. Tested by the budget battles of the last 4 years, he is willing to open discussion on topics that America clearly needs to address. Whether or not one agrees with Mr. Ryan, all should accept his intellectual honesty and courage in attacking the problems that face America. Governor Romney has made a bold choice that should serve him well."
Stephanie DeSilva Mandeville, Executive Director, Rhode Island Democratic Party:
“Governor Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan demonstrates the Republicans are doubling down on leaving the middle class and struggling Americans out in the cold,” said Democratic Party Chairman Ed Pacheco. “Ryan, the architect of the radical Republican Budget in the House, shares Romney’s commitment to tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, slashes to education, and sweeping alterations to Medicare as we know it. The Romney Ryan ticket should be dubbed the Farewell Tour; say goodbye to Medicare as we know it, goodbye to Head Start and Pell Grants, and goodbye to security for our seniors.”
"Mitt Romney’s selection of seven-term Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan to be his running mate amounts to a giant concession to the most conservative wing of the Republican Party. Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, has put forward a deficit reduction plan he calls the "Roadmap for America's Future." Under its terms, the top tax rates would be cut to 25 percent from 35 percent, all taxes on capital gains, interest, and stock dividends would be eliminated, Social Security would be privatized, and Medicare would be turned into a voucher. It is impossible to think of a more disastrous course to chart for America – a course that would take us backward in time, through the horrors of Bush II and Reaganomics, all the way to a pre-New Deal era that would harm the Middle Class and abandon the neediest members of our society, especially senior citizens."
Not only does Paul Ryan bring youth to the table, but he also brings the knowledge, expertise, and vision we need to get our fiscal house in order. But this election is not about Paul Ryan, it's about getting America working again. Unfortunately, under President Obama, we have seen our gas prices double, food prices soar, an additional $5 trillion dollars in debt, and unemployment above 8% for 42 straight months. It is obvious America and Rhode Island need to change direction.
"The fact that Mitt Romney just selected the architect of the plan to end the guarantee of Medicare to be his running mate shows just how far-right the Republican Party has become. The prospect of Romney and Ryan in the White House makes it even more critical that we don't send more Republicans like Brendan Doherty to Congress to strengthen the Republican majority. Brendan Doherty was an early endorser of Mitt Romney and has said he applauds Paul Ryan and has said the Ryan Plan is a "prudent approach," and the last thing Rhode Islanders need in Washington is one more vote to advance the Republicans' far-right agenda that is bad for seniors, women, and the middle class."
"Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan as running mate sends an clear signal that he wants the 2012 Election to be a national referendum on which America we want to live in. The Ryan Budget is the most comprehensive and detailed plan out there to put the US Government on a firm financial footing. Although the final Romney Administration
Initiative may be an amalgamation of the Ryan Plan and the Boles/Simpson outline, the result will be a stark contrast to inflationary and unsupportable spending policies of today.
It's time for all American to decide which of those two paths is best for them, their children, and the rest of their fellow citizens."
“With the decision to put Paul Ryan on the ticket, the Republicans have decided to double down on the extreme policies that hurt middle class Rhode Island families. Paul Ryan is the architect of the radical Republican plan to end Medicare as we know it and has proposed making drastic cuts to the Pell Grant and Social Security. All of this while giving even bigger tax breaks to the rich. The stakes in this election could not be higher."
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Comments:
John Robitaille
4:25pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
Here's the truth about the Romney / Ryan plan for Medicare and Taxes. It's the President's healthcare reforms that will take $700 Billion out of Medicare for current beneficiaries and have unelected bureaucrats make healthcare decisions for seniors. The Romney /Ryan plan will repeal Obamacare and maintain current benefits for current Medicare recipients and for Americans over the age of 55. Younger Americans will have a choice of either a voucher plan or the Medicare coverage. The Romney plan will strengthen and protect Medicare for both current and future generations. Don't believe the Obama campaign's distortions to create fear with seniors.
With taxes, the Romney / Ryan plan will not increase taxes for the middle class, nor will it lower taxes for the wealthiest Americans. It will also preserve deductions, like home mortage interest deductions, which really helps the middle class.
Be prepared for more negative attacks, distortions and false claims as the President cannot run on his successes because the President's policies are not working.
Samuel Bell
4:59pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
I'm glad Anthony Gemma has changed his tune and stopped praising the Ryan Plan. Less than a month ago, he was praising the Ryan Plan for proposing defense cuts--something the Ryan Plan doesn't do. http://www.ripda.org/?p=624
michael riley
5:21pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner touted the alleged deficit savings in President Obama's new budget proposal. But under questioning, he admitted that even if that budget were to pass, the country would still be left with a totally unsustainable fiscal burden thanks to the two big health entitlements, Medicare and Medicaid: "Even if Congress were to enact this budget, we would still be left with—in the outer decades as millions of Americans retire—what are still unsustainable commitments in Medicare and Medicaid," he said
when will the lies stop ? Obamas budget received ZERO votes
Roland Lavallee
6:23pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
John Robitaille's intelligent comment only confirms what I've known for years.
John needs to run for Governor 2014.
Gary Arnold
9:05pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
Look the Democrates sent the same internal email around that they are quoting from, notics doubling down in a couple of statements and the Medicare attack?
We have had 3 1/2 years of aimless Obama golfing and dividing the country, now we have a chance to build the country back with Romney/Ryan.
Michael Napolitano
9:10pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
The fact of the matter is that unemployment is now 8.3% nationally and the middle class is struggling. We have burdened our children and grandchildren with trillions of dollars of debt. The Obama administration has FAILED to get the job done in the last 4 years. Local Democrats are quick to attack the Paul Ryan selection but what have they done for RI? What has Cicilline, Langevin and Whitehouse done for Rhode Island? The answer is NOTHING. That is why we are ranked #3 for unemployment and DEAD LAST for business. They too, are part of the problem and not the solution. They have all shown they are merely puppets of the failed Obama administration. Do you remember it ever being as BAD as it is now, in both our country and our state? This economy has destroyed countless small businesses, put many out of work, and cost families their homes. Democrats have no positive record to run on so they are running on SCARE TACTICS and MISINFORMATION! If this was the private sector they would all be fired for their poor performance! As a voter in Rhode Island have you had enough of this yet? Democrats control our state and our representation in Washington. Where has it gotten us?
Not only do we have to live with the negative consequences of the Obama Administration, we also have to live with the consequences of our representation in Washington doing NOTHING for Rhode Island. It is time to send them a clear message in November.
Chris MacWilliams
8:22am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
I don't know how ANY politician can say that Medicare and Social Security will be there for future generations. It's like Congressman Cicilline saying that the capitol city's finances are in excellent condition. It's like union leaders telling their members that their pensions are fine because "we have a contract."
At some point in time we as Americans have to face the fact that we have a very serious debt problem and Medicare and SS are the heavy hitters.
David Vogel
12:27am on Monday, August 13, 2012
It's amazing that when partisans speak of cost-cutting, they invariably characterize as "discretionary spending" the programs that provide at least some measurable benefit to the people of this country.
While partisans are busy deflecting everyone's attention from the major ways in which they bilk the taxpayer and waste the money of this country, they are actively obscuring the reality that trillions of dollars are absolutely frittered away in a bloated military budget, and in "projects" and "pursuits" that provide zero tangible benefit of any kind to the people of the United States. On the very rare occasions that partisans are questioned regarding such things, they are incapable of answering with any degree of intelligent thought, preferring instead to accuse the questioner of being "unpatriotic."
When did it become "unpatriotic" to actually care about whether our government has the best interests of the nation at heart? In my opinion, asking the questions shows signs of rational thought; their answer demonstrates a thuggish quality that has become one of the hallmarks of our current political environment.
Regarding Medicaid under the republican plan, we see a perfect example of the creation of a smoke-screen behind which the republicans are trying to obscure the truth.
According to an analysis performed by the Congressional Budget Office, the ryan plan would slash deeply into the expenditures by the federal government, and also would decentralize the program by shifting its control to the states. The already-weakened financial condition of most of the states would force them to become the "bad guys" because, with the sudden addition of so many new people to their lists, the states would have no choice but to establish a system of rationing. The end-result is that the federal government would be able to claim that "it" had nothing to do with the bad outcome because, in the very warped logic of the republicans, the federal government's forcing of the states to take the final steps somehow relieves the plan's architects of the culpability that, absolutely, must be laid squarely at their feet.
Getting back to the idea of what truly should be regarded as "discretionary spending," the amount of money that would be required to provide adequate Medicaid coverage could be diverted from just the military budget, and the only reason the department of defense would even realize it's not there is because that department has become too spoiled to understand that that's exactly what it is -- too spoiled.
Because partisans are told by "big money" what to do and how to "think," there is little chance that they ever will utter a statement that could be considered thoughtful or rational where it concerns the interests that seem to have become their constituents. This is a large part of the reason I am running for Congress as an Independent.
You will find my name on the ballot on November 6, 2012 as a candidate from Rhode Island's First Congressional District.
I cannot expect that die-hard partisans will be interested, but I remain hopeful that people who prefer to not be told how to think might actually consider making a change away from partisan politicians when choosing our congressional delegation.
michael riley
9:51am on Monday, August 13, 2012
This statement below is from Ron Wyden..article attached
"I know that polls show that the majority of Americans like Medicare the way it is today. But don't let that number confuse what's at stake: unless Congress enacts meaningful Medicare reform in the near future, seniors will be faced with inevitable cost-shifting and eventual benefit cuts until Medicare doesn't look anything like the program does today."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-ron-wyden/preserving-the-medicare-g_b_1365237.html
Captain Blacksocks
6:34pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
Looks like Sheldon and David can't formulate a unique thought on their own. Did they both use the same freelance writer? Their comments are nearly identical. Sadly, when they can't make a rational point based on facts, all leftist/socialists just wave their class warfare banner as we are seeing here. Vote them all out, please.
Captain Blacksocks
6:39pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
It's Mandeville's and Whitehouse's statements that are identical. Leftist robo commentators. Sorry, all these class warfare statements just blend together into one pathetic sob story after reading so many of them. Destroy the rich and their mean old businesses before the GOP pushes all the old folks and orphans off a cliff. Yeah, right. It's only the GOP who seems to have a real long-term desire to stop all those entitlement programs from going broke.
Michael Trenn
10:01pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
Talk about doubling down! All these Demmies are reading from the same " scare the old people" scenario.
Michael Trenn
10:01pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
Talk about doubling down! All these Demmies are reading from the same " scare the old people" scenario.
Michael Trenn
10:02pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
See, I doubled down on that statement!
Art West
1:42pm on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Bottom line: The Democrats don't like Ryan because he would reduce the amount of other people's money those Democrats would have to throw around and buy votes.
Obama and his Congressional allies have had almost four years to demonstrate how their taxing and spending and social engineering and crony capitalism policies have made us a more prosperous nation.
I see unsustainable spending that has added $5 trillion to our debt burden. I see the promotion of the welfare state. What I don't see are more jobs, or proof that the Democrat "solutions" offer a valid course of action.
Paul Ryan stands in stark contrast to Washington's fiscal insanity -- and the Democrats don't like it.