Tommy Thompson Says He Has A Plan To "Do Away With Medicaid And Medicare"
When I read this today at www.electoral-vote.com, I thought it was pretty amazing:
The battle for Wisconsin is not only for its 10 electoral votes, but also for its Senate seat. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is in a tight battle with former four-term governor Tommy Thompson. Thompson is hitting Baldwin for being too liberal and supporting a single-payer health insurance system, like Canada's. Baldwin has been hitting back by quoting a remark Thompson made to a tea party group: "I'm the guy who did away with welfare, and I'll do the same with Medicare and Medicaid."
I wondered if it was an exaggeration or misquote because it's pretty incriminating, but I found this on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/...
so yeah, that's what he said.
More on Tommy Thompson at NPR:
http://www.npr.org/...
she (Tammy Baldwin) said:
"He has become somebody who disavows compromise. He signed a pledge to a D.C. lobbyist, Grover Norquist, and said on certain tax issues, he will not compromise," she says. "He told a Tea Party group: 'I'm the guy who did away with welfare, and I'll do same with Medicare and Medicaid.' You know, I think people are recognizing that I'm the candidate who is fighting for them, not for the powerful special interests in Washington."
Baldwin is hitting that theme hard in a campaign ad.
"Tommy Thompson left Wisconsin for Washington — boy, did he," it says. "Working for George Bush, Tommy cut a sweetheart deal with drug companies, making it illegal for Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. It cost taxpayers $156 billion. Then Tommy made millions working for a lobbying firm that represents drug companies."
Article from Politifact confirming Tammy Baldwin's assertion:
http://www.politifact.com/...
Baldwin said federal law adopted "under Tommy Thompson's watch" prohibits the federal government from negotiating for "better prices" on prescription drugs for senior citizens.
Her reference was to the Medicare Part D prescription program, which Thompson lobbied for and which includes the prohibition she stated.
We rate Baldwin’s statement True.