Democrat Kathy Hochul won a decisive victory over Republican Jane Corwin in New York’s special election in the predominantly Republican district in upstate New York. Hochul, with 90% reporting, took 48%, to 42% for Corwin, with Tea Party candidate Jack Davis at 9%. Democrats highlighted the medicare issue, and were quick to trumpet the result as a repudiation of Republican Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan.
“Today, the Republican plan to end Medicare cost Republicans $3.4 million and a seat in Congress,” said Rep. Steve Israel (N.Y.), the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “And this is only the first seat.”
The Republicans will point to the Tea Party candidate and his numbers in this race, but this is a district that is solidly Republican. The Medicare issue, without a doubt, hurt the Republicans here, and the Democrats will be using this playbook throughout the country. E.J. Dionne, over at the Washington Post, talks about just that, and how this race will likely send Republicans into disavow Ryan mode. A major victory for Dems, and a loss that may have Republicans rethinking their political strategy heading into 2012.
Bill Manzi.com 
Your Honor,
History repeats itself.
During the Johnson/Goldwater election campaign Goldwater paraphrased Cicero when he said,”I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
As a consequence of that comment the Democrats produced a unforgettable political video titled “Daisy” that featured a cute little girl in a field of flowers counting petals. At the end of the count the screen is filled with an atomic explosion.
A scared electorate voted in Lyndon Johnson as President.
The result was Lydon Johnson engaged us in a full war in Vietnam. 58,000 American soldiers came home in body bags.
Now, in order to to capture a Democratic seat, they lied about the Ryan plan’s effect on Medicare by scaring them with a vicious video showing a Ryan look alike throwing a wheel chaired bound granny off the cliff.
In the end the result will be as tragic to Medicare as the Goldwater race was to American soldiers.
So I ask;
1. what is the Democrat Plan to save Medicare.
2. what is Mayor Manzi’s plan.
3. What is Senator Kerry’s Idea
4. What is Joe Biden’s idea
5. what is Nancy Pelosi’s idea. (Lets talk about her area getting waivers. 20% )
6. What is Harry Reid’s Idea.
Jules
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Jules,
The Democrats are taking a page right from the Paul Ryan and Republican play-book. They are demagoguing the plan, the same way that Republicans demagogued the Obama health care plan. Remember death panels????? Remember attacking Obama for reducing Medicare by $500 billion? Remember saying that the solution to the health care crisis was allowing health care plans to be bought across state lines? You reap what you sow, and the Republicans do not want realism on health care. We don’t have a Medicare problem Jules, we have a health care cost containment problem. And the solution lies in containing health care cost inflation.
Bill
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Your Honor,
Let me remind you to see the consequences pointed out in the Democratic “Daisy” video which proceeded Paul Ryan’s demagoguery by decades.
I would like to point out that $500 billion will be siphoned from Medicare (based on ending fraud and corruption) as part of the Obamacare.
The rest of your response above is meaningless especially if we look at actual consequences within the Democratic machine since the passing of Obamacare.
Questions
Why have there been more than 1300 waivers issued by Catharine Sebalius?
Why have Nancy Pelosi’s (you know, you will have to pass it to see what it’s about) constituency been awarded waivers?
Why have so many Union organizations even ask for waivers? Why have so many have been granted.
Why have so many mayors and Governors been granted waivers?
Why has GE and a host of donor companies been granted waivers.
And are you planning to sign up for waivers?
All in all Democrats are getting out as far as possible from Obamacare. Why?
IT IS A SCAM.
Jules
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Your Honor,
In order to be “Fair and Balanced” I provide with a list of approved waiver holders. Now I know you are going to try and explain why they chose other plans.
So I ask you why have so many Obamacare supporters heading for the door?
Here’s the best of all. AARP has been granted a waiver. WHY?
http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/approved_applications_for_waiver.html
Jules
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Jules,
As you know the plan has several features that do not kick in until 2014. Health Care is a tremendously complex subject that is truly not going to be solved by Republican slogans. In 2014 state run insurance exchanges will be created, and that should obviate the need for waivers. But if health care cost containment is not achieved soon then all bets are off. Funny how you ask for Democratic solutions on Medicare but don’t offer any Republican alternatives on health care.
Bill
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Your Honor,
1. What Republican slogan? I am waiting for the Republicans to reply to the Democratic Demagoguery.
2. Your last sentence saying the REpublicans don’t offer alternatives on healthcare. It’s simple, the message is toss it out.
3. The middle stuff above, I assume, is your reply to “why are the Democrats jumping off the Healthcare ship if it’s such a great idea.
So I assume you rely on obfuscation to muddle your answer.
So let me ask again, why are Democrats exiting the Obamacare health plan by the thousands??
Jules
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Jules,
Republican health care slogans. “Keep government away from my Medicare”.
Get rid of it is not a policy, but demagoguery.
Democrats are not jumping off the ship. Until the state exchanges are set up in 2014 the mini med plans will likely require another year or two of waivers. It is not jumping off the ship, but rather making sure that the insurance market, as it is currently constituted, is not disrupted.
As a Democrat I cannot stand here and say that the health care law is perfect. It will require some adjustments, as you might expect if reason and logic were at the basis of the opposition. “Just get rid of it” leaves us with a horribly broken system, with millions of people without health insurance. What is the Republican solution????
Bill
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Your Honor,
I asked that you justify a fact- Democrats are jumping ship and I gave you a data source…government data.
You write opinion.
So I will ask one more time; why are the Democrats leaving Obamacare by droves.
Ryan plan gives those who wish it several thousands of dollars to pick from multiple plans. It does not effect people 55 or older. They keep Medicare as it exist.
There, I gave you part of the Republican plan for the future.
So why are the Democrats abandoning Obamacare?
Jules
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