April 30, 2011
Scaring Grandma II - The Cicilline Lie-Apalooza Returns (Briefly)
Further to Marc's post about Rhode Island's junior senator going around baselessly alarming seniors, in the other Congressional chamber, Rhode Island's First District congressman was almost exultant last week about Paul Ryan's proposals to modify Social Security and Medicare.
“It’s interesting,” Cicilline said Tuesday during a half-hour interview with WPRI.com in his Pawtucket district office. “During my campaign I was criticized for doing a ‘Scare the Seniors’ tour. This is exactly what I was talking about. This is real!”
Actually, no, it's not real at all, Congressman. Nothing has changed since your Lie-Apalooza last fall when you went around telling seniors that changes had been proposed for Social Security ... without bothering to tell them that they would be completely unaffected by such changes.
Lie-Apalooza 2011 kicked off last week.
Congressman Cicilline will begin his Congressional Seniors Series by discussing the effects of the Republican budget on Medicare and Medicaid. Under the Republican budget, tax breaks for millionaires would be increased while the Medicare guarantee for seniors would end and support for seniors in nursing homes, disabled individuals, and low-income children who depend on Medicaid would be cut.
But, interestingly, it was cut short. Now, whether this was because he has repented about this really sleazy and dishonest way to drum up support or, more likely, because the press was asking good questions about the newest revelations of his budget shenanigans is not clear.
The larger question remains: why are these two elected officials (the junior senator and the junior congressman) addressing and upsetting a constituency about an issue that does not affect them in the least?
"why are these two elected officials addressing and upsetting a constituency about an issue that does not affect them in the least?"
Because this constituency votes at a very high rate and they don't check what they're told by the guy buying them dinner.
But what irritates me more than Cicilline and Whitehouse here is the national GOP. Where are they? Why are they letting these two spread these lies around the state unfettered? Why can't the national GOP get in here with minimal dollars and run some commercials stating the facts? Put the commercials on in every break during Wheel of Fortune and during Regis & Kelly, so the people getting scared by these two can learn the facts? No one is touching their benefits.
Cicilline lied about Providence, now he's lying about Paul Ryan, as is Sheldon. Someone really needs to publicly call them out, and the National GOP could do it for short money. That's the most irritating part to me.
Posted by: Patrick at April 30, 2011 9:41 PMMaybe if this demented, perverted sociopath gets re elected more sane people will get the gumption to leave this corrupt toilet.
That would be a big silver lining in the clouds.
Rep. Ryan's budget would end Medicare as we know it for the children and grandchildren of these seniors. How can you say it is an issue that "does not affect them in the least?" My daughter is now 14 years old. If Rep. Ryan proposes selling all U.S. women, between the ages of 20 and 30, as sex-slaves to Saudi Arabia in 2020, I shouldn't care? By your logic this radical plan "doesn't affect me in the least."
Posted by: Alan Ginet at May 1, 2011 11:19 AMAlan Ginet, isn't Medicare as we know going to have to end anyway? It's going broke, and fast!
Posted by: david c at May 1, 2011 10:37 PM