Trajan
conscientia mille testes
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- #21
Trajan...the author of the OP, calls Romney a "phony". Ryan's place on the ticket is inconsequential as a result.
Did you know that as Clinton's Chief of Staff: "One of Bowles's major responsibilities was dealing with federal budget negotiations between the White House and Congress."? (from wiki)
He was also co-chair of President Barack Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. What is interesting is that he was chosen by Obama to review options and propose ways to reel-in our troublesome debt and deficit spending. His conclusion seems to be that Obama is kicking the can down the road, and that Ryan is trying to do the right thing...and doing it very well.
Why not deal with what Bowles said?
In fact, the video maker cut out the part of the speech where Bowles calls the Wisconsin congressman's 2011 plan for Medicare "pretty radical." (See below for a more complete audio.)
Republicans rather focus on these quotes in the clip: "I'm telling you, this guy is amazing," Bowles says of Ryan. "I always thought I was OK with arithmetic, this guy can run circles around me."
"The budget he came forward with is just like Paul Ryan," he continued. "It is a sensible, straightforward, honest, serious budget ..."
The whole speech is not posted, just clips, so it's hard to tell the complete context of Bowles words. Case in point: later in the speech, Bowles went point-by-point comparing the plan drafted by the deficit commission he co-chaired to Ryan's proposal.
What's cut from the video is Bowles discussion of making Medicare a defined contribution plan, instead of a defined benefit plan. "We thought that was a pretty radical change," Bowles said. "And what we said is lets test it in the federal employees health care plan and see if it works. What we would rather do is we cut spending in the health care programs by about $450 billion. And our hope was ... we wouldn't have to do something more drastic like Paul had recommended or a something more drastic like a single payer plan."
Listen to all Bowles thoughts on Ryan's plan here. And get the audio of Bowles' full speech
Read more here: Updated: Bowles once praised Paul Ryan, but called Medicare changes 'pretty radical' | newsobserver.com projects
and I guess democrats would rather focus on the 'radical' term , so whats your point?
thats why I noted to watch the whole clip in my op, he goes on to say too he doesn't agree with all of Ryans fixes and ideas....and I am willing to bet bowles definition of radical doesn't jibe with nor does it carry the same context when say obama uses that term.