If you watched Tuesday night's show, you saw Rachel explain that Mitt Romney's position on Paul Ryan's Medicare privatization scheme hasn't exactly been consistent.
In May 2011, he was against the Ryan plan to end Medicare. Six months later, he was for it. More recently, on Monday, Romney said his plan for Medicare is "very similar" to Ryan's proposal, but on Tuesday, the Romney campaign said the plans are "very different."
And 24 hours after the Romney campaign said the two policies are "very different," Romney told a reporter in Green Bay, Wisconsin the opposite again.
For those who can't watch clips online, the WBAY reporter asked, "Your senior campaign advisor said Sunday if the Ryan budget would have come to your desk you would have signed it. In a January debate you called it a proposal that was absolutely right on. So I guess, why now are you distancing yourself from at least the Medicare portion of the Ryan budget?"
Romney replied, "Actually Paul Ryan and my plan for Medicare I think is the same -- if not identical it's probably close to identical."
Romney and his aides had two weeks to decide what their position is on this issue. They knew the questions were coming, they knew the American mainstream hates the Ryan plan to end Medicare; and they knew voters would be expecting at least some coherence.
But the contradictions persist, in part because the right hand doesn't know what the further-right hand is doing: "Some [Romney] advisers have gone on television to say publicly that he wholly and enthusiastically endorsed Ryan's budget proposals and would, if president, have signed it. Others have sought to distance him from it."
As of last night, Romney still wants to destroy the existing Medicare guarantee, replacing it with a voucher system that force seniors to either ration care, pay thousands more, or both.
Update: By Jed Lewison's count, Team Romney has taken six competing positions on the Ryan Medicare plan this week.
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yes we are watching this debate from Canada on a daily basis and want to commend you Rachel for fighting the good fight against the chattering masses on what appears to be the lunatic fringe on the right... it is sometimes like watching a married couple who live next door in a squabble...they do not realize how stupid they look. some thoughts..... 1.) we find it unbelieveable that you argue over healthcare and still have 30 40 or 50 million people (whatever) who do not have health care coverage.... ask Paul Ryan and the virtuous Christian right how they can justify anyone falling through the cracks without coverage ....the key is not how you cover people, the key is that it has to be 100% coverage for everyone (like the rest of the civilized world )
"Actually, Paul Ryan and my plan for Medicare, I think, is the same, if not identical – it's probably close to identical..."
That’s TODAY’s plan...tomorrow it will be a different plan suited to whoever their audience will be.
Disregarding that nothing can be “close to identical.” It’s either ‘close,’ or ‘identical...’ they’re two separate things. More flip-floping.
.
But then, it’s Romney speaking Romney.
One thing for sure, as soon as the media explains how their “plan” will negatively affect Americans, and it does, their “plan” will change again... and again... and so on.
They aren’t going to explain it, because they don’t, or can’t, agree on what it really is... only that it will cost more for everyone than they say it will. But you won’t hear that from them”
"Actually, Paul Ryan and my plan for Medicare, I think, is the same, if not identical – it's probably close to identical..."
That’s TODAY’s plan...tomorrow it will be a different plan suited to whoever their audience will be.
Disregarding that nothing can be “close to identical.” It’s either ‘close,’ or ‘identical...’they’re two separate things. More flip-floping.
But then, it’s Romney speaking Romney.
One thing for sure, as soon as the media explains how their “plan” will negatively affect Americans, and it does, their “plan” will change again... and again... and so on.
They aren’t going to explain it, because they don’t, or can’t, agree on what it really is... only that it will cost more for everyone than they say it will. But you won’t hear that from them”