PrintJune 11, 2011
The 'Other' Ryan Plan
A funny thing happened on the way to saving Western civilization ... it could all come down to Paul Ryan.
Until Anthony Weiner's bizarre story came to light, there was surely no Washington politician more in the news than the Wisconsin Congressman and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan. Interestingly, this has been part of a counterintuitive design by the Democratic Party and the White House.
The strategy is elegant and ironic: do absolutely nothing about the fiscal train wreck that is the U.S. federal budget deficit/debt, set a trap for Republicans, shamelessly sit back while they wander in, mercilessly twist, distort and demagogue whatever they come up with, and then (they hope) win big in 2012.
So far, the plan appears to be working, especially the merciless demagoguery part. The Ryan proposal to reform Medicare provides a striking example. A Google search using the terms "Ryan Plan Medicare" turns up 22 million hits. The first few pages are a veritable PR gold...(Read Full Article)
