Why We’ll Never Reform Entitlements…

Democrats demonized Republicans in the mid-90’s for proposing to cut the growth rate of Medicare.  Now Republicans are using similar tactics to attack Democrats in the current healthcare debate:

Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accuses the Democrats of trying to raid the Medicare trust fund to pay for health reform. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), chairman the National Republican Senatorial Committee, says the Democrats are “cannibalizing” Medicare. And House Minority Leader John Boehner says he is worried about Medicare no longer being able to provide the quality America ’s seniors are used to, if health care reform comes to fruition.

The national GOP has even gone so far as to release a Health Care Bill of Rights.  Among these new “rights” for seniors includes a commitment not to let Democrats cut $500 billion from Medicare.  There is also a pledge to stop Democrats from rationing care based on age.  You might know this by another name – “death panels.”

Ignoring the intellectual hollowness of many of the GOP’s claims (so Republicans don’t think there are places to cut Medicare?) this issue speaks to a wider problem facing the nation.  We have two political parties that refuse to recognize the fiscal train wreck right around the corner.  Our current entitlement programs cannot be sustained.  The level of debt this country will plunge into without fundamentally remaking Social Security and Medicare will bring economic ruin.  Without substantial reform that will involve many painful choices (such as – dare I say – rationing certain procedures) our quality of life will take a major hit starting in the next decade or so.

Republicans, instead of being the party of reform, are sounding like FDR-Mondale Democrats.  They cannot be expected to lead this country to the path of fiscal solvency when they slander attempts to reign in entitlement spending.  Indeed, the party seems deranged as it simultaneously bemoans a “government takeover” while vowing to resist cuts in federal spending.