Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Bill Clinton Says Democrats Need a Medicare Plan — So Where Is It…?

Speaking this morning at the Peterson Foundation’s Fiscal Summit, Bill Clinton argued that Democrats need to propose reforms to Medicare.  He said that yesterday’s special election results in New York made him “afraid that the Democrats will draw the conclusion…that we shouldn’t do anything [on Medicare reform].  I completely disagree with that….The Democrats may have to give up some short-term political gain by whipping up fear, if it’s a reasonable Social Security proposal, if it’s a reasonable Medicare proposal.  You cannot have health care devour the economy.”

Even as President Clinton expressed his strong disapproval of the Medicare proposals in the House-passed budget, he made equally clear that Democrats need to produce an alternative to it.  When will Democrats finally reverse their position that passing a budget is “foolish,” and instead make constructive solutions to solve America’s imminent entitlement crisis?