I find this portion of Saletan's essay to be particularly revealing, and indicative of the current lack of integrity and abundance of intellectual dishonesty amongst elected officials on the right:

[i]"You protested that Obama’s $700 billion savings in the future growth of Medicare payments to providers—a spending reduction that any sensible conservative president would have sought, and that you had previously included in your budget plan—would “lead to fewer services for seniors.” You depicted a horror scenario: “a $3,600 cut in benefits for current seniors. Nearly one out of six hospitals and nursing homes are going to go out of business.” You assured seniors that the Romney-Ryan agenda for Medicare “does not affect your benefits.” And you promised future retirees “guaranteed affordability” of health care.

In short, you adopted every tactic in the liberal playbook. You framed a reduced rate of growth as a draconian cut. You inflated the likely impact of the reduction. You denounced any loss of services as unacceptable. You promised not to touch seniors’ benefits. And you reaffirmed a fiscally unsustainable guarantee. By my count, you’ve now done this in at least six speeches and rallies. Every day, you’re reinforcing the culture of entitlement and making it harder to rein in retirement programs."

Ironic, isn't it? The President is essentially further to the right of the right-wing on this one. He has offered a plan that actually reduces the rate of entitlement spending growth and offered up raising the retirment age as a part of the "grand debt bargain" that Ryan helped to scuttle. While Ryan is out there speechifying (and lying) where are the policy proposals? Oh, that's right - NOWHERE, that's where.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think in reality he is more of a "supply-sider" than a "deficit hawk" and I predict that if Romney/Ryan get into office we will see deficits climb even higher.

I agree, and so does the CBO.

They said that about Reagan too

And in fact our debt climbed quite sharply during his two terms. So is your point that their predictions are accurate?

Anonymous wrote:All the way.

Read today's entry from a conservative giving up on Ryan as just another doubletalker:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/frame_game/2012/08/paul_ryan_s_medicare_flip_flop_is_a_betrayal_of_conservatism_.html

OP here. So Bill Saletan and I agree 100%.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think in reality he is more of a "supply-sider" than a "deficit hawk" and I predict that if Romney/Ryan get into office we will see deficits climb even higher.

I agree, and so does the CBO.

They said that about Reagan too

Yes, and under Reagan even though the annual growth in federal spending fell, the deficits grew. Imagine that.

All the way.

Read today's entry from a conservative giving up on Ryan as just another doubletalker:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/frame_game/2012/08/paul_ryan_s_medicare_flip_flop_is_a_betrayal_of_conservatism_.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think in reality he is more of a "supply-sider" than a "deficit hawk" and I predict that if Romney/Ryan get into office we will see deficits climb even higher.

I agree, and so does the CBO.

They said that about Reagan too

Anonymous wrote:I think in reality he is more of a "supply-sider" than a "deficit hawk" and I predict that if Romney/Ryan get into office we will see deficits climb even higher.

I agree, and so does the CBO.

Anonymous wrote:I think CAP is a liberal think tank and is spinning ferociously.

I don't think you can lump voting for the 2001 tax cuts as "deficit financing" since they were paid for with surpluses.

And I'm a liberal Dem.

Did he or did he not make those votes? Of ourse you know he did, it's public record. So who cares what organization published it?

I think in reality he is more of a "supply-sider" than a "deficit hawk" and I predict that if Romney/Ryan get into office we will see deficits climb even higher.

PP, I am also a Dem and don't normally cite orgs like CAP, but what is interesting are the helpful links if you click through that detail his voting record. And I think you can make a very strong case that those cuts have now added to the deficit since we burned through the surpluses long ago. And can you deny that his many, many other votes on spending bills are in direct contradiction to his rhetoric?

I think CAP is a liberal think tank and is spinning ferociously.

I don't think you can lump voting for the 2001 tax cuts as "deficit financing" since they were paid for with surpluses.

And I'm a liberal Dem.

According to a Center for American Progress analysis of Ryan's votes during his career in Congress, he voted consistently for budget-busting measures that added $6.8T in debt including Medicare Part D, defense spending bills and of course, tax cuts. I have long said (waaaaay before he was chosen as VP) that he is a hypocrite whose actions as a Congressman don't match his "deficit-hawk" rhetoric.

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/budget/news/2012/08/16/12030/rep-ryans-undeserved-reputation-for-fiscal-responsibility/

Discuss.