GOP trying to turn Medicare, health reform law into political gain

News outlets are covering some of the congressional and presidential politics of health care.

USA Today: "Republicans are accusing Democrats of using 'scare tactics' to convince Americans the GOP wants an end to Medicare and Social Security. In the party's weekly radio address, Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada says both parties should come together to fix those programs ... 'Let's stop the lies about who wants to end Medicare or eliminate Social Security and fix both programs now,' Heller says" (Wolf, 8/27).

The Washington Post: "Three years after storming the White House with the 'fierce urgency of now,' President Obama has a new message for his reelection campaign: Be patient, democracy is big and tough and messy. ... the sluggish economy could make it difficult for the president to build his reelection effort around his accomplishments, such as ... pushing through major health-care reform" (Nakamura, 8/27).

The Wall Street Journal: "Texas governor [Rick Perry] showed Thursday that he won't hesitate to attack Mr. Obama and his GOP rivals. In an interview with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, he called Mr. Romney's health-care plan in Massachusetts 'a huge problem for him' and described Washington as 'a seedy place' (King Jr. and Weisman, 8/26).

Kaiser Health News' Capsules blog: "Just a few weeks into his campaign, Texas Gov. and presidential candidate Rick Perry isn't talking a whole lot about health care, except to criticize President Obama for last year's law. And he's not considered a health care expert. But he's is passionate on one point: Fixing the nation's health care system must include a major reform of the medical malpractice system" (Werber Serafini, 8/26).

CNN: "Rep. Michele Bachmann was firing on all cylinders Thursday evening, dismissing competitors' management experience. ... Bachmann stressed the need to repeal President Obama's health care reform law, or so-called Obamacare, before it 'metastasizes' like a cancer and 'we will not be able to get rid of it'" (Sheperd, 8/26).

Las Vegas Review-Journal: "Ninety-year-old Republican matriarch Barbara Vucanovich used one word to describe the television attack ads of 2nd Congressional District candidates Mark Amodei and Kate Marshall. 'Disgraceful,' she said following a debate in Reno ... The biggest worry for 2nd Congressional District voters is that their Social Security and Medicare will be reduced just as they enter what should be their golden years. Several national and state polls since May have found more than 70 percent of respondents say they rely or will rely on Medicare and Social Security and they oppose any cuts now or in the future" (Vogel, 8/28).

The New York Times: "Eager to avoid another round of budget brinksmanship, Congressional leaders hope that a little-noted spending agreement tucked into the debt limit deal reached this month can head off any threat of a government shutdown as the federal fiscal year draws to a close in September. ... Efforts to add contentious policy provisions to the spending measures are also expected to set off partisan disputes. House Republicans have shown a determination to try to use the spending measures to block implementation of the new health care law" (Hulse, 8/27).