RNC Hypocrisy Over Medicare Cuts

Jason Linkins of The Huffington Post wrote the following:

Over the course of the debt ceiling negotiations, whenever news broke that entitlement cuts were being put "on the table," you could typically rely on hearing from all manner of parties who were opposed and/or concerned about the program taking a hit. Typically, you'd hear protests emanating from progressive circles -- Democratic politicians, liberal pundits, left-leaning blogs. But oddly enough, a new voice is keening in the wilderness today: the Republican National Committee. What now?

Yes, that's right. On the RNC's "Issues" page, under the oddly creepy headline, "Reach Out And Touch Medicare," the Committee wants to remind you that, "For The Record…It Was Obama Who Offered To Cut Hundreds Of Billions In Medicare During The Debt Debate." It's a pretty selective remembrance! The bipartisan Gang Of Six also sought steep cuts to Medicare -- $400 billion worth to recipients. Their talks broke down when Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) demanded further cuts. It wasn't good enough for another Republican -- Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) -- either. He wanted substantially bigger cuts as well. (And let's recall that Ryan is the author of a celebrated Medicare plan that reduces Medicare costs by not paying for Medicare anymore.)

This is nothing new - remember the "Senior Health Care Bill Of Rights" the RNC offered up during the health care debates when the Democrats offered up cost-saving changes to the system to help fund health care?

Republicans need to crawl back to the voters who have proven to be their most reliable constituency - seniors.  It seems the Republicans are constantly pandering to their base when they need to push a message that they are different from Democrats and that they stand for something of value when in reality they do not.  Over the years, this party has increasingly sold itself to the far-right but come elections they like to claim they are more centrist then the Democrats.  It is my opinion that the Democrats as a whole have become more centrist while the Republicans moved to the right.  Just look at what happened when the Democrats held a majority - they had a hard time getting enough votes because of the wide range of ideologies within their party.  The Republicans on the other hand would march lockstep with their party's orders.