Clarence Page and his War of Disinformation

In an article in the Chicago Tribune, titled "Team Romney's war against facts," Clarence Page reveals a remarkable confusion.  And he wishes to share it with his readers.  In this article, he attempts to make the case that it is the GOP that seems to have a problem with factual presentation.  Page writes:

"Yet, fact checkers could hardly catch up with that remark before Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, unleashed a few more fibs and convenient omissions in his own convention speech.

For example, he had the audacity to poke at the "$716 billion funneled out of Medicare by President Obama" without noting that his own past budget plans counted on the very same savings. The same one-sided charge that Obama "raids" Medicare to pay for Obamacare appears in Romney campaign ads too."

Clarence, did you say "convenient omissions"? Really? 

It is you, Clarence, that live in the fact free world.  I will present some facts, some actual videos of testimony, with the certainty it will not change your mind or any of your devotees.

"The Medicare, Medicaid, growth-trend, CLASS, and immediate reform provisions are estimated to result in net savings of about $577 billion, leaving a net overall cost for this period of $251 billion before consideration of additional Federal administrative expenses and the increase in Federal revenues that would result from the excise tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health insurance coverage and other revenue provisions ." (the estimates being different in 2010) This is a quote from the Department of Health and Human Services document of April 22. 2010.  Read Document

They use the "savings" from cutting the programs mentioned to reduce the cost of the Obamacare program.  That is the "funneled out" part. Their own calculations.

From ABC News, 2009 interview with Obama.

TAPPER: "One of the concerns about health care and how you pay for it - one third of the funding comes from cuts to Medicare."

BARACK OBAMA: "Right." Video

Yet it is also declared, by the Administration, that the cuts and savings are to assist in extending Medicare.  That is double counting.

In Congressional testimony, Sebelius, Dept of HHS, responded thusly to a question.

Question: Are you using it (Medicare cuts) to save Medicare or pay for health care reform (Obamacare)?

Answer: Sebelius: "Both". Video

Ryan's plan does propose similar cuts to Medicare, but that money is then used to sustain Medicare for years to come, not put towards funding a different program.  No "funneling out. "  Clarence, are you there?

The difficulties in this matter are twofold. One is the double counting by this Administration, the second is the disinformation campaign in which, apparently, Clarence Page is a soldier.