Much has already been said via print columns, blogs and web ads to refute the Romney-Ryan claims that President Obama is robbing Medicare of $716 billion to fund Obamacare. As Romney's ad ominously says: '716 billion from Medicare for something that's not for you'.
The three major TV news networks don't seem to be playing ball with Romney Ryan and told Mr. and Mrs. low information voter that that simply is not true. (This of course after dutifully reporting how 'nasty' both sides of the campaign have become).
Footage of President Obama explaining his position and refuting that of Romney and Ryan's was shown on NBC. CBS and NBC both point out that Romney's claims are misleading since Paul Ryan included the very same 'cuts' in his Medicare reform plan. They explained that growth in the program is slowed, but no cuts in benefits are made.
Kristin Welker, on NBC Nightly News, reported that in Dubuque on Wednesday, the President "used strong language to refute Republican claims about Medicare." President Obama was shown saying, "they are being pretty dishonest about my plan. They are throwing everything against the wall to see if it sticks." Welker added that "according to the Congressional Budget Office, the Obama's reforms and the Medicare plan offered by...Paul Ryan plan both slow Medicare growth by $700 billion, but do not cut program benefits."
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CBS summed up the bottom line in a simple and easy to understand way.
Bob Schieffer, on the CBS Evening News, said that since Ryan "was added to the ticket, more and more attention has shifted to Medicare, and every time Governor Romney mentions it he says the President robbed the program of $716 million." Schieffer added, "Where does he get that figure?" CBS's Anthony Mason went on to report that "the reality is it's not the patients who would lose money; it's providers," and, "in fact...Ryan's proposed budget contains these same reductions." According to Mason, the CBO "concluded the cuts, which do not come out of the Medicare trust fund, actually make Medicare more efficient and extend the life of the program."
ABC News distilled the debate down to the voucher Ryan would provide, and pointed out the seniors would need to shop for their own healthcare.
Dianne Sawyer, on ABC World News, said "driving much of the debate right now" is "Ryan's budget, with deep cuts he argues are needed, and big changes to Medicare, eventually adding like a voucher-like system for seniors to shop for their own healthcare."
Mitt Romney put the focus on Medicare with his choice of Paul Ryan as his running mate. While these draconian measures would have been planned by the GOP regardless of who was on the ticket, the MSM is now forced to discuss Ryan's proposals, and Americans are getting a taste of what's in them.