Democrats still saying Republicans aim to shortchange 'greatest generation' in fiscal deals

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

President Obama and fellow Democrats are keeping up their argument that fiscal conservatives want set to slash entitlements for the country’s “greatest generation” to balance the budget for the country's greatest generations, despite no apparent plan.

The most recent was Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu who last week acknowledged that entitlement spending on such programs as Medicare has contributed largely to a growing federal budget but continued to argue against steep cuts.

“The greatest generation that gave us the greatest nation the world has ever heard is dying and they need hospice care," she said Tuesday on the Senate floor. "They need Social Security. They need hospitals. And if they want to cut them go right ahead. I'm going to be a little more gentle.”

Landrieu’s remarks echoed those by President Obama during his inauguration speech.

“We reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future,” Obama said to applause. “They do not make us a nation of takers. They free us to take the risks that make this country great.”

Republicans argue they have not put forth a plan to take away benefits to Americans already in the system and that has never been their plan – much like they did against similar attacks by the Obama campaign during the elections.

“No one is suggesting that Medicare and Social Security makes you a taker. These are people like my mom who worked hard, paid her taxes and now is collecting a benefit that she paid for. No one is suggesting people like my mom is a taker,” Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, the House Budget chairman and the Republican Party’s 2012 vice-presidential nominee, told NBC a few weeks ago.

Ryan also argued against the suggestion that his budget includes “savage cuts” to food stamps, children’s health care and other services for the less fortunate.

“This is the straw man argument,” Ryan continued. “The president said … that we have suspicions about Medicare and taking care of the elderly and feeding poor children. When he sets up these straw men, which is to affix views to his adversaries that they don’t have, to win the argument by default, it’s not really an honest debate.”

________

 

The blame game never is...