Marion Michael Rounds needs to start reading the blogs. Not only would it help make him a more in-tune policymaker, but it would also keep him from making stupid mistakes. The GOP Senate candidate is recycling the oft-repeated and oft-rebutted claim that President Obama's Affordable Care Act robs $732 billion from the Medicare trust fund and puts elderly voters (that's what this is really about) at risk.
Team Rounds can try all they want to spin this claim, but if Rounds were paying attention to the blogs, he wouldn't have Perry Groten pounding the crap out of his errors on KELO for all to see:
- As I reported in August 2012, President Obama's savings in Medicare strengthen Medicare in two ways: they extend the viability of Medicare and help it ride out the baby boom bubble, and they fund the ACA, which helps younger people stay healthier, which means they'll cost less to take care of when they reach Medicare age.
- Kristi Noem nonetheless repeated the ACA-robbing-Medicare lie to attack Matt Varilek. As I reported in September 2012, "Those $716 billion in cost-savings extend the solvency of the Medicare trust fund to the 12 years that Rep. Noem cites. Those savings do not cut benefits for a single senior citizen. The Paul Ryan budget that Noem supports assumes those same budget savings (though realizing what an idiot he sounds like, Ryan is backing away from that budget position in order to preserve his campaign attack point).
- If Rounds had read my February 2013 report, he'd know that repealing the ACA would also get rid of anti-fraud tools that have helped the Obama Administration catch more Medicare fraud than the Bush II Administration did.
- As I reported in December 2013, the ACA actually gives senior citizens more benefits, like closing the donut hole in the prescription drug benefit, eliminating Medicare co-pays for preventive health services, and adding a wellness visit to benefits. Repealing the ACA means repealing those benefits for elderly voters.
See, Mike? That's what the Internet is for: doing your research and making a handy brief book so when people start repeating lies about policy to deceive the voters, you can pull up those responses really easily and get voters back on track.
The people that are against the ACA are the same kind of people that were against medicare when it was instituted and they had the same sort of arguments against it. Now their talking points are about how we need to save medicare and protect it from cuts caused by ACA. (Think Mike Round's TV ads).
Mike Rounds, unlike Noem, is not a dumb. Corrupt? Yes, but not dumb. I expect he knows full well that he's lying, just like I suspect Noem is too dense to know whether she's lying or not. I can't figure out why Republicans can't seem to win unless they lie or they're dumb. Is there something about being a Republican that makes one not want to deal honestly with facts?
Donald, I suspect such seemingly sociopathic behavior could result from boxing oneself into a worldview that does not square with reality (free market solves everything, government is evil, trickle-down economics works...).
I have been waiting for a week for these lies to be exposed. I about gag everytime I see it and it is on alot. His soft spoken voice reminds me of the Scott Hoy commercials. Hi I am Mike Rounds and I am here to help!
Agreed, Donald. I thought the same thing when I saw Rounds' ad. He's smart enough to know better. Yet he chose to mislead and people and try to scare seniors with this ad.
I think it's necessary in Republican primaries today to placate the crazies who won't deal honestly with the facts, and that's why Rounds offered the false hope about ending Obamacare. The part about President Obama taking money from Medicare but ignoring that the GOP budged does the same thing is just pure hypocrisy.
Steve, there's a great mashup video idea! Scott and Mike together!
When a platform (for any candidate) is built on error, finger pointing, and mud slinging nothing good comes from it. The GOP is very short on answers or creative problem solving techniques. They seem to enjoy "bluster". Which can be a noun or a verb with pretty much the same meaning.
Purchasing power in Sioux Falls plummets under Rounds/Daugaard:
http://www.governing.com/news/headlines/real-personal-income-purchasing-power-grows-for-metro-areas.html
Purchasing power plummets-that's because tax and spend libbies raised the price on everything. Get with the program. We know who to blame(and it ain't wingnuts).
Is it a lie when Rick Weiland says it? He had a letter to the editor published in the Moody County Enterprise complaining about Medicare cuts.
If he is saying what Rounds is saying, then yes, it is a lie. Do you have the text or a link thereto handy?
What did it say Anne Beal?, he asked breathlessly. More unsubstantiated bull puckey from the right on the ACA. Send the link or sit down.
Hmm... Anne... this is what Rick says today:
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Sioux Falls small businessman and Senate candidate Rick Weiland said today that Mike Rounds big money TV ad on Medicare is factually false.
“The claim in Mike Rounds' ad that current law will take more than 700 Billion dollars from Medicare is, frankly, not true. As KELO TV has just reported, and as impartial observers agree, current law will reduce the amount of payments that are going to privately-managed Medicare Advantage plans because they are reimbursed at a higher rate by the government than actual Medicare is. Instead of racking up profits for big insurance, we will keep those 700 Billion dollars in the Medicare program. That," Weiland emphasized, "will strengthen, not weaken, Medicare."
"Mike Rounds' ad was paid for by tens of thousands of dollars in contributions from the insurance industry, big drug companies and their lobbyists in Washington, so it is no surprise what Mike says is exactly what the industry favors. Repeal guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions, repeal the ban on lifetime limits on medical benefits, let insurers kick kids off their family policies after college instead of at 26, that's what Mike Rounds' ad favors and what big insurance wants," Weiland said.
"This ad really asks exactly the question that the entire United States Senate race this year will ask. Which do South Dakotans prefer, big money lies presented in pretty TV ads paid for by big money contributions, or straight facts presented to their face by a candidate working town to town to earn their support," Weiland said.
"The contrast is stark. The choice is important. And the voters of South Dakota, as they should be, will make the call."
Weiland made his remarks in Clear Lake and Watertown as he continues his drive to visit every one of South Dakota's 311 towns in person for the second time [Weiland for Senate, press release, 2014.05.01].
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Rick Weiland says Mike Rounds is lying about the ACA robbing Medicare. Does the Moody County Enterprise letter contradict that statement? If it does, we have a news story. If it doesn't, the story remains that Rounds is lying.
Hey folks quit complaining. At least he got it straight on his commercial. In the Republican debate a couple of weeks ago, he said the 700 plus billion would be coming from medicaid.
Money is fungible.
It was on the news again tonight. Does the FCC ever step in to stop patently false ads?
In general, falsehood is not a violation of the law. It is up to viewers and voters to prosecute, convict, and sentence.
Surprise! As cancer rates spike in the chemical toilet Thune's and Noem's donors don't want the EPA to discover who is contributing to non-point source pollution:
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/article_e94331f8-afe1-5b25-a162-1855ee0cb1d9.html
Here is a scenario we have yet to explore.
Kristi Noem resigns ahead of the general election due one or another stupid choices she's made: whom would DD appoint?