WASHINGTON – Republicans have had an easy time criticizing the Barack Obama Administration's healthcare overhaul plan, but when it comes to creating their own, the way has been politically treacherous.
Nobody knows that quite so well as House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), whose plan to make cuts in entitlement programs is bringing heat. Chicago residents rallied outside a recent event where he was speaking, chanting "hands off our Medicare" and bearing signs that read "Don't make us go all Wisconsin on you!"
Ryan's home state did go "all Wisconsin" – that is to say, negative – on him at several town hall meetings.
It appears Americans like their Medicare just fine the way it is. They like it so much they are not willing to put it on the chopping block, no matter what their political party says.
With 2012 looming, everyone in politics is getting skittish in Washington. The question for a Republican is how do you reduce the federal deficit without cutting huge entitlement programs and without losing votes?
GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House, unfortunately (and, so he says, accidently) recently walked the fence, only to fall and straddle it painfully. He called Ryan's plan "right-wing social engineering," and was promptly spanked by GOP leaders.
Medicare is a slippery slope for Democrats, as well.
The Affordable Care Act may not be so affordable after all, unless it makes good on the way Democrats have boasted it will. The Congressional Budget Office found that initiatives in the ACA would create savings in healthcare and in Medicare. But will the savings show before the GOP repeals it, gets it ruled unconstitutional or defunds it?
Election years are notorious for making Congress wary of major legislation. So in all reality, major changes aren't likely to happen. However, a budget must be passed. Somehow. Some way.
The givens are this. America is in trillions of dollars over its head. As Ryan has said, the situation took years to create. It will no doubt take years to correct. Meanwhile, Americans want to know they will get what they paid for when it comes to Medicare.