GOP intra-party divisions emerge over Medicare revamps

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., offered a forceful defense of his budget plan that includes a proposal to make major changes in the Medicare program after Newt Gingrich, the newly minted candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, ripped the plan.

The Wall Street Journal: Medicare Revamp Exposes Divisions Within The GOP
Newt Gingrich's dismissal of the House Republican plan to overhaul Medicare provoked a rebuttal from the proposal's author, Rep. Paul Ryan, highlighting a split in the party over how hard to push a priority for the House GOP majority (Bendavid and Weisman, 5/17).

The Washington Post: Ryan Defends Medicare Overhaul, Argues That GOP  Plan Would Grow Economy
The architect of the GOP's controversial Medicare overhaul delivered a forceful defense of the plan here Monday, saying it would empower seniors and accusing President Obama of having a "shared-scarcity mentality" that promotes "bureaucratically rationed health care" (Rucker, 5/16).

Los Angeles Times: Paul Ryan Defends Medicare Plan After Criticism By Newt Gingrich
Rep. Paul D. Ryan fervently defended his plan to radically rework Medicare after it came under fire in surprising fashion from fellow Republican Newt Gingrich. Gingrich became the first GOP presidential candidate to openly rip the proposal after the plan — which would convert Medicare into a private insurance program as part of a House blueprint to tame federal spending — drew heavy criticism and polls showed it to be unpopular (Oliphant, 5/16).

CQ HealthBeat: Ryan Stands Behind Medicare Plan, Slams Administration's Waivers of Coverage Increases
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul D. Ryan defended his Medicare proposal and criticized the health care overhaul on Monday, saying the fact that more than 1,300 businesses have received waivers from requirements for insurers to increase annual coverage limits is "a devastating indictment of the new health care law." The Wisconsin Republican, who is weighing a Senate bid to replace retiring Democrat Herb Kohl, was met before his speech to the Economic Club of Chicago by some protestors waving signs saying such things as "Hands off my Medicare" and "Paul Ryan plan: Let them eat cat food" (Adams, 5/16).

Roll Call: Ryan Defends Budget Blueprint, Medicare Overhaul
House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan on Monday defended his Medicare overhaul plan that has become a top political target for Democrats in Washington, D.C. In a speech before the Economic Club of Chicago, the Wisconsin Republican maintained, "We cannot avert a debt crisis unless we directly address the rising cost of health care" (Brady, 5/16).

Fox News: Paul Ryan Fires Back At Gingrich Over 'Right-Wing Social Engineering' Criticism
Rep. Paul Ryan fired back at Newt Gingrich on Monday after the ex-House speaker panned Ryan's Medicare plan as "right-wing social engineering." Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, argued that his proposal is not "radical," as Gingrich alleged during an interview over the weekend. And he questioned why Gingrich was choosing to align himself with Democratic critics of the GOP budget proposal (5/16).

Ryan also offered harsh words for the health law —

Politico: Rep. Paul Ryan: Health Reform Hurting Economy
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan framed health care costs and the president's health law as key drivers of the nation's economic and fiscal problems Monday, while warning that the president's plan could lead to waiting lists for today's seniors (Haberkorn, 5/16).

And Gingrich stays in the headlines —

The Hill: Gingrich Knocked By Right On Health Care
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) on Monday sought to walk back his controversial remarks on health care after coming under friendly fire from the right. Gingrich, who's acknowledged that his discipline and judgment would be a key metric of success in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, had come under intense criticism from conservatives stunned by his comments on NBC's "Meet the Press" (O'Brien, 5/16).

Politico: House GOP Fires Back At Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich's scathing criticism of Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) budget has House Republicans peeved, with several lawmakers saying Gingrich is taking cheap shots at his fellow Republicans without putting out a Medicare plan himself. A chorus of boos, critical emails and outright dismissals came Monday after Gingrich claimed that the Republican plan to reform Medicare was "right-wing social engineering" (Sherman, 5/16).

The Washington Post: Gingrich, Fresh Off Declaring Presidential Candidacy, Begins Swing Through Iowa
The former House speaker instead found himself on the defensive about comments he made a day earlier on NBC's "Meet the Press," where he criticized a Republican proposal to partly privatize Medicare and defended a central tenet of the Democratic health care law that passed last year: that people must bear more of the cost of their own medical care. The comments unleashed a torrent of criticism from conservatives and forced Gingrich to explain his position (Gardner, 5/16).

ABC: (Video) Newt Gingrich Waffles On Paul Ryan Medicare Plan
Newt Gingrich, who recently announced his bid to unseat Obama in 2012, became the most high-profile Republican to publicly oppose Ryan's Medicare revamp in an appearance Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I don't think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering," Gingrich said. "I don't think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate" (Dwyer, 5/16).

In other health-related political news —

MinnPost: Problem For Pawlenty And Romney: Explaining Formerly Proud Positions
Two roads diverged on the campaign trail, as GOP presidential candidates sought to deal with formerly proud positions once embraced by the Republican Party writ large that are now considered liabilities. Tim Pawlenty took one and flatly apologized for his prior support of cap and trade. ... Mitt Romney took the other last week and attempted to explain how the health care law he signed into law as Massachusetts governor — underlined by an individual health care mandate — was a good idea ... The two approaches are striking, political analysts say, and illustrate a contrast in styles that presidential hopefuls will have to contemplate as they recast parts of their record to appeal to the 2012 primary electorate (Wallbank, 5/17).