From Special Report with Bret Baier | Tuesday, March 20, 2012
On Democrats’ reaction to Paul Ryan’s budget:
Well, they already had a campaign [against] last year’s Ryan budget, the “Medi-scare” campaign, which was in part, dishonest. They said it abolishes Medicare, but in fact it amended it [Medicare, by making it a premium-support program].
They will have a harder case today because the new Ryan approach makes one major tweak. He got Ron Wyden, the Democratic senator of Oregon, to join him in a joint proposal where you do change Medicare from a guaranteed program of provider payments, meaning fee-for-service, into one where you guarantee the premium, the cost of the insurance.
However, what he added now in this budget is a provision that if you want to choose the old traditional Medicare, you can do that. So now any Democrat who charges that it abolishes current Medicare is not speaking the truth.
They will try that. They will say it. They said it today already. But it simply isn’t so. It’s one of the options that is offered. And that was a very important change.
Remember, the House Republicans approved the budget last year without a provision of that sort. So now I think they have some kind of political protection. And it will make the argument — the dishonest argument — of the Democrats of abolishing Medicare a lot more it difficult.
From the O’Reilly Factor |
Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 8:45PM
On Mitt Romney’s prospects following Saturday’s Louisiana primary:
I think if you look up the word “inexorable” in Webster’s, you’ll see Romney — in Illinois, smiling.
On why Newt Gingrich, whose money is drying up, is not dropping out:
Well, on the other hand, what’s the cost of staying in? He can go Southwest.
It’s not a big deal, you know? Show up on election day. Get a little free television.
Look, if I were him, I would already have gone, but I’m not him. And he says he wants to be in Tampa. Perhaps he wants to be in Tampa. But I think it’s safe to say that after a week or two, he’s not a factor.
Whom the Republican nominee should select as his running mate:
Rubio, without a question. Marco Rubio of Florida. He brings youth. He brings energy. He brings intelligence and he brings a lot of Hispanic votes.
On the possibility of a Romney-Christie ticket:
Christie is — he’s flammable, you know. He’s a bit risky. And I’m not sure being — he’s a moderate on most issues. He’s a guy from Jersey. I’m not sure you want a moderate and a moderate on the ticket….
You might go to a Portman who represents Ohio. Senator Rob Portman. If you’re looking for a state — the way that Kennedy went for Johnson to bring him Texas, and that’s what he needed to go over the top.