House Republicans face backlash at home over budget plan

[UpInArms]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Hillsborough, N.H.— Standing in a brightly lit bingo hall off a wooded road, a space that doubles as the dining room for Danny's Friday night fish fry, Republican Rep. Charles Bass should have felt a long way from the pressure-cooker of budget politics in Washington.

But as he opened a town hall meeting here last week, it was clear the pressure had followed him to American Legion Post No. 59.

What is his rationale for wanting to change Medicare to a voucher system, questioners demanded to know. How is this going to lower premiums? If the idea is to cut the deficit, why does the Republican budget plan offer tax breaks for the wealthy?

Congress is on its first recess since Republican leaders unveiled a plan to end the federal deficit by dramatically changing Medicare, cutting other government programs and reducing taxes. With members of the House returning home to meet with constituents, politicians have been anxiously looking for signs of trouble.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-congress-recess-20110424,0,1993819.story

[napi21]

1. I hope to hear similar stories from many, many meetings these

hypocrits have while they're home! I have heard reports of several others and I can only hope by the time they return to DC they'll have given up the idea of supporing Ryan's plan!

[opihimoimoi]

2. Too Late....GOPers signed off with their passing in the HOUSE

They are guilty...

[tsuki]

14. You will have to read them on line. The Beltway Botox

Brigade is all a-flutter about The Wedding.

[tinwi]

19. Of course, the important stuff (rolls eyes)

[onehandle]

3. Republicans want to kill your grandmother.

Ironically, in this case, it's true.

[freshwest]

7. It all points to that.

[tsuki]

15. Not your grandmother. They want to kill you when you become

a grandperson.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. That's putting it lighty I suspect.

[OHdem10]

5. On Friday, Tweety and Rachel showed some tapes from the

different town halls.

I find it amazing that the Republicans continue
to make the same mistake over and over. Under Reagan
talk of Privatizing SS created commotion for them.
In the Clinton years Gingrich wanted to let Medicare
"die on the vine" I saw and heard him on C-Span.
He was soon backtracking and trying to say he did
not mean Medicare.

GWB was going to try to change one of the programs
and had all these town meetings on the subject.
The people went ballistic.

Instead of being successful at this they have been successful
at cutting Medicare. Even under Clinton there was a compromise
Bill stopped the tax cuts but gave the GOP millions in Medicare
Cuts.

[aquart]

6. That's why they keep trying. Each time they get a little closer.

[napi21]

8. Maybe, but I think this time they just mght have stepped over the line.

Their own are turning against them. When have you heard of so many recalls in so many different states? I'm 67 and I suppose I could have missed some, but the only two that stick in my mind is Nixon when he finally decided to resign instead of being impeached, and Gray Davis in California. The people of calif. now realize the Governator wasn't such a great idea.

Now I'm hearing about recalls in Wisc., Ohio, and Michigan, and maybe Florida.

They've gotten a lot of power positions, but th people are very soon realizing their mistake in electing these idiots and the Pubs are goig to suffer because of it.

[MadMaddie]

29. I don't think the Repugs have even started to suffer for

what they have done.

Older Americans Medicaire
Handicapped
Hispanics
African Americans
Gays
9/11 Repsonsders
Teachers
Fireman
Police
Government and State Workers


I am sure I missed other populations but I think we have only begun to see the backlash.....

[SkyDaddy7]

18. They NEVER truly get punished for it!

Simple lies that the Democrats were trying to get rid of Medicare during the HCR Debate sent folks into a panic...There truly is a double standard!

[Juche]

28. Each time they fail the overton window moves to the right a little bit

It becomes less radical and unthinkable each time they try it.

Also, republicans seem to understand that many of us voters are not very informed and act accordingly (GOPers have no qualms about running against death panels, killing grandma and defunding medicare in 2010 then actually trying to do those things in 2011 since they know most voters barely pay attention anyway). Most people can barely name their senators and representatives, expecting people to understand the nuances of policy is pretty unrealistic. I'd doubt more than 30% of the voting electorate even understands what they are trying to do with medicare.

[Bozita]

9. Hello TV news folk. Can you come back from London now? We seem to have some news here.

But then, the news here may not sync with your owner's bottom line.

Only 6% of Americans have an interest in this fucking wedding. You DO know that, don't you?

[Firebrand Gary]

11. This pisses me off. NEWS CORP controls the lame stream media.

Joe and Mika showed those fucking tea party town halls every 15 minutes for how many months.

[tsuki]

16. Yea, for You! I could not have said it better! nt

[AllyCat]

34. I cannot believe the coverage this wedding is getting. We have REAL STUFF here

and this is all they talk about? News reporting my a$$.

[Firebrand Gary]

10. Republicans want to steal your Grandma's security, so she will have to sell them her old gold.

GREED is the worst of all things!

[Sedona]

35. My mother was selling her old gold this weekend

in some hotel conference room in South Florida this weekend.
I doubt she got what it was worth

on edit...shes a Fundy, a Faux News Junkie and a Beckster....you can't tell these people anything...totally brainwashed

[99th_Monkey]

12. I think it's called poetic justice. Hoot! nt

[The Wizard]

13. It's the Republican plan

for culling the Boomer generation through attrition. Kind of like the Vietnam War was a form of population control over the same boomers. There are too many of us for the system to sustain so the government resorts to draconian measures disguised as wars to spread democracy to southeast Asia and prudent fiscal policies.
"Just because people are born poor doesn't mean they have to die poor."
(LBJ)

[SpiralHawk]

17. Take that, you RepubliCorp lackeys (R)

Try supporting the American people for a change...

[Volaris]

20. whats telling about this is than when a DEMOCRATIC controlled

House decides to impact the budget deficit through health care access reform, the Republicans have to bus people in to raise hell about it. When it is a REPUBLICAN controlled House attempting the same thing, it seems The People just kind of show up on their own, don't they? Funny how that works, isn't it?=)

Someday, the idiots will figure it all out, I'm sure. In the meantime, they will have to suffer their own stupidity just as much as the rest of us.

[Lorien]

27. "I don't belong to an organized political party; I'm a Democrat"

-Will Rogers

It would be helpful if the DNC DID bus people in and armed them with talking points, but it seems like we no longer have any positions on the issues, so that might be tough.

[2QT2BSTR8]

21. Good riddance!

I say let 'em burn in the fury fires of their constituents. Next step is to vote them completely out of office.

[ladywnch]

22. does anyone really think they give a crap that their constituents want

their heads? Trust me, as uncomfortable this might be for the rethugs, they simply go back to their homes and bathe in the money they've racked in and all is right with their worlds again. They do this for two reasons: 1) to get any touch of the common man off their person and 2) to remind themselves what is really important.....their money and power.

[SoapBox]

23. There needs to be MORE and LOUDER backlash!

...I wonder if Dems are trying to get into these meetings? Now mind you, I don't want them to look and act like assholes but asking the RushThugs and T.HaterBaggers simply questions, is like shooting fish in a barrel. The Thugs have no answers as to why they want to bring down America and Americans.

[tomhayes]

24. Will this plastered all over TV for months?

I HIGHLY doubt it.

[iwishiwas]

25. As others have said-We do not see BREAKING TEA PARTY news like we

saw over and over during the insurance 'reform' town halls.

[Lorien]

26. I REALLY WISH that I could attend the Daniel Webster town Hall meeting here

in Orlando this week, but I have family commitments. He's Alan Grayson's replacement and another teabagging a-hole. I hope that he and his GOP policies get ripped apart!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

30. Democrats should be highlighting this

Ordinary people are very disgruntled!

[Nossida]

31. the Gods Wept

What is his rationale for wanting to change Medicare to a voucher system?

To Privatize Medicare and turn it over to their republican Corporate Lover Boys of course.
The republicans also want reform so if one of their Corporate Doctor sellouts damage you
in an operation, you won't be able to Sue them.

republicans are a pack Corporate Fascist Stooges.
and you poor people that vote for them are committing
suicide. But we can be sure that won't stop you. It
never has. It never will. Go ahead and vote for the
Sellouts. republicans were a plague in Ancient Rome,
and Rome transformed into a Tyranny. The USA will do
the same if these republican money changers aren't
sent packing.

[lonestarnot]

32. I think pugs have cooked their own goose this time.

:hi:

[joanbarnes]

33. Keep these stories coming, because as Rachel reminds us, the M$M won't.