Outside the Beltway

Blunt Ad Complains of Cutting Medicare…to Support “Government-Run Health Care”

An ad for Republican Senate candidate Roy Blunt complains that his opponent voted to cut Medicare in order to support “government-run health care.”

Alex Knapp
20

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I saw this ad on TV this morning and it boggled my mind:

Yes, that’s a Republican (who, like most Republicans, has been campaigning against too much spending), who is not only campaigning against Medicare cuts (which are necessary to get the deficit under control), but complaining that those cuts are going to “government-run health care”!

I suppose that since 39% of the American public wants the government to “stay out of Medicare,” there’s no downside to simultaneously campaigning against cutting Medicare and against “government-run healthcare.” But I have to say that it’s sad that the joke about Tea Partiers wanting to “keep the government out of Medicare” isn’t a joke anymore–it’s an actual campaign point…

Ah well. Score another point for Mencken.

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20 responses to “Blunt Ad Complains of Cutting Medicare…to Support “Government-Run Health Care””

  1. Doug Mataconis Avatar
    Doug Mataconis

    And, he’s going to win

  2. Herb Avatar
    Herb

    “But I have to say that it’s sad that the joke about Tea Partiers wanting to “keep the government out of Medicare” isn’t a joke anymore–it’s an actual campaign point…”

    Well, to be fair…is Blunt really a Tea Party type? Or is this just further acknowledgment that “Tea Partier” and “Republican” are interchangeable terms?

  3. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    I guess I should not be surprised when the GOP glorifies ignorance, but I still am.

  4. ponce Avatar
    ponce

    “The American People will take Socialism, but they won’t take the label.”
    -Upton Sinclair

  5. Steven L. Taylor Avatar
    Steven L. Taylor

    Incredible.

  6. ratufa Avatar
    ratufa

    I live in PA and have been seeing ads since the campaign began about how we should elect Pat Toomey and other Republicans in order to protect Medicare from the Democrats. Some of this is just “tit for tat”, since the Democrats have been pushing the theme that Republicans want to privatize Social Security or do away with Medicare as we know it. The Democrats probably have a better claim to truth on this particular issue than the Republicans (especially Republicans such as Toomey), but such is politics.

    As has been mentioned before on various threads, the real test will come if/when Republicans take control of one or both houses of Congress. At that point, campaign promises about protecting Medicare and Social Security run up against fiscal reality and the Tea Party goals of smaller government, lower deficits, tax cuts, etc.

  7. TG Chicago Avatar
    TG Chicago

    The poll you cite seems awfully odd. If I heard that question, I might take it as “Do you want the government to mess with Medicare?” I can easily understand people answering “no” to that question.

  8. sam Avatar
    sam

    “[The] campaign promises about protecting Medicare and Social Security run up against fiscal reality and the Tea Party goals of smaller government, lower deficits, tax cuts, etc.”

    The food fight in the Republican caucus is going to be something to behold.

  9. george Avatar
    george

    Smaller gov’t always means subsidise departments I use or believe in, and drop the others.

  10. Stormy Dragon Avatar
    Stormy Dragon

    The food fight in the Republican caucus is going to be something to behold.

    What food fight? Oh, you think they’re serious about wanting to cut spending? That’s so cute!

  11. sam Avatar
    sam

    MY point was, the TPers will be, the establishment, not a chance. And that’ll be the food fight, I’m guessing.

  12. Stormy Dragon Avatar
    Stormy Dragon

    The TPers aren’t any more serious about cutting spending. Anyone who starts with the premise that Social Security, Medicare, and Defense spending are all untouchable isn’t serious about cutting spending.

  13. Crust Avatar
    Crust

    Someone alert Bill Kristol. Obviously Blunt must be a fictional character invented by the Obama administration…

  14. sam Avatar
    sam

    “The TPers aren’t any more serious about cutting spending. ”

    Yeah, you might be right about that. I was giving them the benefit of the doubt re their rhetoric re cutting spending.

  15. tom p Avatar
    tom p

    Common bumper sticker down here:

    “Blunt is NOT sharp”.

    he proves it again (and sadly, yes, he probably will be my next Senator)(mind you, he can’t be much worse than Kit “Backstroke” Bond)

  16. Stormy Dragon Avatar
    Stormy Dragon

    I was giving them the benefit of the doubt re their rhetoric re cutting spending.

    Ask one of them to name the things they’d cut. They can talk about it general terms, but if you want anything beyond soundbites, they’re at a loss. But then, you’re making the mistake of trying to interpret what they say according to the meaning of the words that make it up.

    The Tea Party movement is primarily about identity politics. Phrases like “cutting spending” or “smaller government” or “defending the constitution” are just rhetorical gangsigns to identify themselves as members of the tribe. Any actuall meaning those phrases might have is purely conicidental to their actual function.

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