Cantor intends to break America’s promises

Posted with permission.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_08/cantor_intends_to_break_americ031301.php

August 04, 2011 8:00 AM
Cantor intends to break America’s promises
Steve Benen


Remember the Promise Keepers? Say hello to the Promise Breakers.



He added that younger Americans will have “ample time to try and plan our lives so that we can adjust” to the post-Medicare society.

As Cantor sees it, the existing Medicare program simply must be eliminated for fiscal reasons, replaced with a privatized system. In other words, the Paul Ryan plan that was soundly rejected by voters and policy experts alike is still the preferred model for the House Republican leadership.

As a matter of policy, this is still hopelessly ridiculous, for all the reasons we talked about in the Spring. But on a political level, this is just as misguided. The more Cantor and his allies base their agenda on ending Medicare, the happier Democrats are.

Also note the rhetoric the oft-confused House Majority Leader uses: the United States has made promises to the public, and as far as Eric Cantor is concerned, “many” Americans will simply have to accept that those promises “are not going to be kept.”

Why not? Because Republicans say so. Promises to Grover Norquist are sacrosanct, but promises to senior citizens are not.

This is, to put it mildly, a gift for Democrats. I’ll look forward to the DNC running ads in, say, Florida, telling voters that the leading House Republican believes the United States committed to the Medicare program, but now believes those promises “are not going to be kept.”

And in an ideal political environment, the Republican presidential hopefuls would spend the next few weeks responding to a straightforward question: “Do you agree with Eric Cantor that America’s promises to Medicare beneficiaries should be broken?”

They are supposed to be our REPRESENTATIVES, not our leaders. They are acting like our OWNERS.
Vote out every single fucker who justifies this crap, Republican OR Democrat.

problem. Republicans want to let older people THINK that everything will be fixed at the expense of younger people. We have to make them KNOW that is NOT going to happen. Medicare will be fixed right or it will end.

They are true anarchists.

...is so laughable.
That claim DEPENDS on Republicans honoring their promise later,
while the heavy Spending Cuts begin immediately while we are struggling in a Recession & Jobs Crisis.