Political Ruminations

Morning Quote: Republicans Discuss Spinning End of Medicare as We Know It

Republicans respond to the Democratic electoral victory in New York 26 by doubling down on the spin for their plan to end Medicare as we know it:

Rep. Tom Cole (R., OK):

We need to make it a choice between a do-nothing approach that will ultimately destroy Medicare, and life-saving reforms.

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL):

It's a wake-up call on how you frame it. It obviously wasn't framed right.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), the author of the end Medicare plan, lashes out at Democrats:

They [Democrats] are shamelessly demagoguing and distorting it.

Update on Democrat Kathy Hochul's Historic Win in NY-26

Final numbers from the NY-26 special election

Democrat, Kathy Hochul 47%
Republican, Jane Corwin 43%
Tea Party, Jack Davis 9%
Green Party, Ian Murphy 1%

Watch Kathy Hochul’s victory speech (via The Ed Show):

Official responses from both parties

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Steve Israel:

Democrat Kathy Hochul Wins NY-26

In the decidedly red district of NY-26, Republicans voted against the Ryan Plan to destroy Medicare, and elected a Democrat. 

With more than three-quarters of the precincts reporting, AP has called the congressional election in upstate New York for Democrat Kathy Hochul. Republican Jane Corwin was trailing by six points. Tea Party candidate Jack Davis, whose support was supposed to break toward Ms. Corwin, was polling below 10 percent.

This was the first federal election since Congressman Paul Ryan proposed a budget that kills Medicare. House Republicans voted for it, and Ms. Corwin said she would have joined them. That unpopular stance appears to have swung this election from a sure bet for Republicans to a loss.

The word on Capitol Hill is that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will call for a vote on the Ryan plan this week, possibly on Thursday. That would force Republicans in the Senate to take the same litmus test as their colleagues in the House, after watching what just happened in New York. Likewise, the 2012 Republican field has to formulate some kind of response to the Ryan plan. Oppose it, as Newt Gingrich did, and the party faithful will give you a drubbing. Support it, and voters will turn against you.

Yes, it is definitely to be considered a referendum on Republican plans to destroy entitlement programs, and also speaks to Republican chances of keeping a majority in the House in 2012.

UPDATE on the NY-26 election here.