Vice-chair of the DNC Hispanic Caucus, Andres Ramirez, discusses the $700 billion at issue in the Medicare debate with King of Nevada Political Coverage Jon Ralston, and declares that, “Both campaigns are consistent that that money, in and of itself, is not necessary or essential in the Medicare budget.”
Score a point for Mr. Ramirez; whether or not you agree with his assessment that Medicare doesn’t really need that $700 billion, he at least avoids the ’my $700 billion in cuts are necessary, rational, and helpful, while your $700 billion in cuts are unnecessary, irrational, and harmful’ line that characterizes most partisan disputes over entitlement reforms.
Of course, since Ramirez has just posited that the $700 billion in Medicare funding isn’t necessary, it does tend to undermine the argument coming from other Democrats that Ryan is the granny-pushing fiscal tightwad out to destroy the Medicare program.
This is much better to hear from Ramirez than the last time he appeared on our radar screens, declaring of Romney, “this Gringo doesn’t speak our lingo.”