Obama Tries to Turn Focus to Medicare From Jobs Figures
Source: NY Times
By HELENE COOPER
SEMINOLE, Fla. President Obama on Saturday began hammering away at the Republican tickets plans for Medicare, using a campaign swing through Florida, with its large number of retired and elderly voters, to try to turn the page from anemic employment growth, his biggest weakness, to entitlements, a Democratic strength.
Kicking off a two-day bus tour through this perennial swing state, the president told a rally here that Mitt Romneys running mate, Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, had proposed overhauling Medicare and replacing it with a voucher system that could mean higher costs for beneficiaries.
Florida, you should know I will never turn Medicare into a voucher system, Mr. Obama said to rousing cheers from a crowd of 11,000 at St. Petersburg College, Seminole. No American should have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies.
The presidents advisers have indicated that they are eager to re-engage their opponents on their Medicare plan, while the Romney camp would prefer to talk about the economy. A government report on Friday showed that employers had eased up on hiring in August, adding just 96,000 jobs, compared with 141,000 in July. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent, but that was largely because of people leaving the work force entirely.
FULL story at link.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/us/politics/obama-and-romney-battle-for-votes-in-2-swing-states.html?_r=1&partner=EXCITE&ei=5043
The president told a rally on Saturday at St. Petersburg College, Seminole, that unlike his Republican rival, he would never turn Medicare into a voucher system.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,018 posts)I thought that the way Clinton handled this whole topic was a very effective template going forward - hoping pres Obama et al use similar wording.
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)the job numbers are still going up...
never ever let the truth get in the way of a sensational headline
daybranch
(1,309 posts)To older people medicare costs especially drug costs and the donut hole were a big part of their economy. To the retired social security is a big part of their economy. To the unemployed extension of unemployment benefits are a big part of their economy. To a couple putting off children until they can have decent jobs and maybe a little nest egg, acces to reasonably priced contraception is a big part of their economy. To a person who is LGBT, prevention of discrimination preventing them from getting or keeping a job is key to their economy, to a rape victim in college, preventing pregnancy and/or carrying a rapist baby is a big part of her economy. To recent college grads the interest on student debt is a big part of their economy. To women improving their pay through the Lily Ledbetter Act is a big part of their economy. To students brought into this country illegally, the dream act is a big part of their economy. To blue collar workers, tax cuts for the middle class are part of their economy. To young couples seeking to buy their first home, lower interest rates are part of their economy. To the rest of us who no longer endure the excess charges of banks, we have an improved economy. To the teachers, firefighters and police whose jobs the stimulus saved it is a big piece of their economy. To the blue collar worker the manufacturing job he might get is a big part of the economy.
But gee whiz, why does not Obama talk about the economy like some abstract notion where an invisible hand guides our destiny towards ever more gratifying greed. I guess Obama knows theonly economy that matters is the personal economy that he talks about all the time.
daybranch
(1,309 posts)To older people medicare costs especially drug costs and the donut hole were a big part of their economy. To the retired social security is a big part of their economy. To the unemployed extension of unemployment benefits are a big part of their economy. To a couple putting off children until they can have decent jobs and maybe a little nest egg, acces to reasonably priced contraception is a big part of their economy. To a person who is LGBT, prevention of discrimination preventing them from getting or keeping a job is key to their economy, to a rape victim in college, preventing pregnancy and/or carrying a rapist baby is a big part of her economy. To recent college grads the interest on student debt is a big part of their economy. To women improving their pay through the Lily Ledbetter Act is a big part of their economy. To students brought into this country illegally, the dream act is a big part of their economy. To blue collar workers, tax cuts for the middle class are part of their economy. To young couples seeking to buy their first home, lower interest rates are part of their economy. To the rest of us who no longer endure the excess charges of banks, we have an improved economy. To the teachers, firefighters and police whose jobs the stimulus saved it is a big piece of their economy. To the blue collar worker the manufacturing job he might get is a big part of the economy.
But gee whiz, why does not Obama talk about the economy like some abstract notion where an invisible hand guides our destiny towards ever more gratifying greed. I guess Obama knows the only economy that matters is the personal economy that he talks about all the time.