GOP plan centers on seniors' bill of rights

Aug 25 2009

"In their latest assault on President Obama's health care plans, Republicans are aiming for a vulnerable spot -- the fears of seniors that their care will get worse or more costly," the Boston Globe reports  on its Political Intelligence blog.

The Republican National Committee on Monday unveiled "[t]he bill of rights for seniors, [which] includes protecting Medicare from major cuts, preserving the doctor-patient relationship, banning any rationing of care or interference in end-of-life decisions, guaranteeing that seniors can keep their current coverage, and protecting current veterans' health care programs" (Rhee, 8/24).

"The Obama administration has insisted repeatedly that it doesn't want to shrink Medicare benefits, ration care or reduce the role of doctors," the Associated Press reports. "But polls have shown that Americans, and older Americans in particular, still have significant concerns about Democratic health care proposals" (8/24).

ABC News: The seniors' bill of rights is part of a "weeklong push on Medicare" in which "Republicans are going on the offensive and taking on the Democrats' health care plan."  The GOP is "targeting seniors in their push to oppose"the reform proposals backed by the White House and Congressional Democrats. Seniors have turned up in town halls held by lawmakers to oppose what they believe might be more government intervention" (Khan, 8/24).

The Democratic National Committee snapped back quickly, referring to the Republican's proposal a scare tactic. The New York Times includes the following written statement by DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse: "It should be no surprise that the Republican Party — which whipped many Americans into a frenzy at town hall meetings on health care this month by spreading one lie about reform after another — has now taken to scaring seniors who have nothing to fear and much to gain from reform.  But what's really incredible is that this feigned interest in Medicare and the plight of seniors is coming from the Republican Party — the very Party which opposed Social Security and only four years ago tried to dismantle it — and the very Republican Party which opposed the creation of Medicare to begin with" (8/24).