Gingrich blasts GOP budget as too "radical"

[Landslide Lyndon]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/newt-gingrich-blasts-gop-budget-as-right-wing-social-engineering.php

Newt Gingrich slammed the House GOP budget on Meet The Press this morning, telling interviewer David Gregory that replacing Medicare with a voucher system was too "radical" an approach. His words were by far the harshest of any major presidential candidate towards Paul Ryan's proposal on entitlements.

"I don't think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering," Gingrich said, calling the plan "too big a jump" for the country. "I don't think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate."

Gingrich has distanced himself from the Ryan plan in recent weeks, calling instead for a system that would preserve the current Medicare system alongside a voluntary, privatized version. But nothing he has said came close to the full frontal assault he unleashed on his own party's top priority in Congress.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Oh, so now, when you're not in power, you're suddenly so moderate, Newt?

[Cincinnatus]

Oh, so now, when you're not in power, you're suddenly so moderate, Newt?

Of course.  He does want to get elected after all

[specific_name]

That's bizarre. I thought he'd be busy positioning himself as the Tea Party candidate (the anti-Romney), now that Huck won't be in. Or maybe I'm out of touch with the Tea Party today, they now want to be clearly reassured that they'll get their checks...to hell with everyone else.

[Bull Moose Base]

And supports health insurance mandate.

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[MyRescueKittehRocks]

The GOP budget isn't radical enough. The Rand Paul budget would cut government spending even more.

[memphis]

That's bizarre. I thought he'd be busy positioning himself as the Tea Party candidate (the anti-Romney), now that Huck won't be in. Or maybe I'm out of touch with the Tea Party today, they now want to be clearly reassured that they'll get their checks...to hell with everyone else.

Bingo. Everybody wants what they have coming. Seniors have more to lose than anybody. And they vote. GOP, take notice.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I doubt Gingrich is much of a tea partier. He's establishment if I've ever seen it.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I doubt Gingrich is much of a tea partier. He's establishment if I've ever seen it.

Ding ding ding. He's establishment

[pbrower2a]

Newt Gingrich has again shown himself the trimmer par excellence.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

OMG RINO!

[tpfkaw]

It appears Gingrich is trying to run from Obama's left.

[Phony Moderate]

This is obviously an attempt to make himself look somewhat reasonable....which of course is probably not a good strategy in the Republican Primaries.

[anvi]

Gingrich is definitely trying to get the ear of those who don't like Ryan's budget.  But, as far as the individual mandate goes, it was originally a GOP idea.  They crafted it a little differently, but it used to be their baby.  I guess Orin Hatch ought to call Newt up and teach him how to artfully abandon it.

[Lief 🗽]

You know who votes in all those Republican caucuses? Old people. You know who loves them some Medicare? Old people.

[DrScholl]

He's got things out of order, candidates only fake being a moderateafter they get the nomination.

[Mr. Morden]

Gingrich is confronted on this in Iowa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuo3dBP431k&feature=player_embedded

[Mr. Morden]

And now he apologizes to Ryan:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55171.html

As First Read explains, the Ryan Medicare has suddenly become a major litmus test for Republicans:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/17/6659605-first-thoughts-what-matters-and-what-doesnt

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[King]

Week 1 and Newt's campaign is already tearing apart at the seams.

[Associate Justice PiT]

You know who votes in all those Republican caucuses? Old people. You know who loves them some Medicare? Old people.

     The truth is probably quite close to this. The proposed budget is anathema to one of the GOP's base constituencies, & so opposing it is probably not a bad move on Gingrich's part.

[DS0816]

He's done!

[Mr. Morden]

Yeah, this isn't exactly going well for Gingrich:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlLZPo1M9dQ

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55187.html

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Of course the real mistake here was backpaddeling. Newt should have stod his ground. The conflict would give him (as it have) the national attention he needs. And it would boost his numbers if he could have framed himself as the champion of medicare.

You know who votes in all those Republican caucuses? Old people. You know who loves them some Medicare? Old people.

 

Iowa if I'm not mistaken has a population that is older than the average US, has it not?

If the Republicans keep pushing this they're going to go down big. Even Thatcher, the God-mother of Conservative-Libretairian economics never dared to go near public healthcare, and that's the woman who was convinced she could poll of the poll tax. (no pun intended) You can hate it from an ideological standpoint, but it's still a fact that people really like public healthcare.   

[Lief 🗽]

It's funny that Bachmann has also (more or less) abandoned the Ryan medicare plan, but did it in a much more tactful and less inflammatory way than Newt. Maybe we're underestimating her.

[Eraserhead]

Ryan's plan is hilariously stupid, to be fair.