Seniors roundly booed Paul Ryan today when he claimed his plan to kill Medicare (he didn't quite put it that way) was somehow better for them.
Reports TalkingPointsMemo:
Paul Ryan’s speech to AARP’s national conference in New Orleans did not go over too well with the audience.
The Republican vice presidential nominee, who has led his party in proposing a privatization plan for Medicare, drew repeated jeers and catcalls as he made the case for Mitt Romney’s platform on entitlements.
Easily the worst moments came as Ryan discussed repealing the Affordable Care Act, which increased prescription drug and preventive service benefits for seniors.
“The first step to a stronger Medicare is to repeal ‘Obamacare,’” Ryan said, prompting a chorus of boos. After the outcry, he said: “I had a feeling there would be mixed reaction, so let me get into it.”
He drew a second wave of disapproval for saying the president’s law “turned Medicare into a piggy bank for ‘Obamacare.’” Ryan was referring to $716 billion in Medicare savings enacted by the ACA — savings he himself has included in two budgets — that largely came out of payments to insurance providers.Wow. When you've lost the seniors, your campaign is in deep doo-doo.
