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Steele Changes Tune on Medicare Cuts

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 24, 2009 12:53 PM CDT

(Newser) – The RNC has joined the fracas over health care reform with a proposed “seniors’ bill of rights” that guards against Medicare cuts, ABC News reports. “Our seniors have really come under fire in the last few weeks,” says RNC chair Michael Steele—who backed Medicare cuts as a Senate candidate in 2006. His argument today on Good Morning America: "We should protect the seniors' ability to access health care."

President Obama has called Medicare “one of the greatest threats to our federal deficit,” but the reform bill proposes no cuts in benefits. “What's really disturbing is this feigned interest in Medicare and the plight of seniors is coming from the Republican Party,” a DNC official says, “the very Republican Party which opposed the creation of Medicare to begin with."

[Images (3)]

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Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. (AP Photo)

President Barack Obama. (AP Photo)

A summary of the 2009 annual reports on Social Security and Medicare sits on a table at the Treasury Department. (AP Photo)

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This is really another way to make sure that we're having the right debate here in America about what health care really means.
- RNC chairman Michael Steele

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 18 comments

oldgoat

Aug 25, 2009 9:14 AM CDT

So he was for the medicare cuts before he was against the cuts? The GOP is having a hard time deciding where to be on a subject anymore.

Shannonals

Aug 25, 2009 2:52 AM CDT

Love how these GOP flip flop on their stands.

foodchain11

Aug 24, 2009 8:40 AM CDT

SOMEONE BETTER START SPEAKING THE TRUTH, REALLY LOU AND REALLY OFTEN. This level of lying is just plain demeaning. I truly don't understand how the GOP rank an file can stomach this. It's like taking pride in thinking you zinged someone with some immature prattle and that somehow that makes you a winner and that somehow that win is all tht matters.

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Steele Changes Tune on Medicare Cuts

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Steele Changes Tune on Medicare Cuts

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

RNC • Medicare • Medicaid • Democratic National Committee • health care reform • DNC • seniors • Obama administration • President Obama • Michael Steele • Republican National Committee

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Fraud-fighters finding it hard to stay ahead of shell companies

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'Washington Post' bares early details of president's plan

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But numbers don't include independent groups

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Newser By Users

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