New RNC Ad Promotes Seniors' Bill of Rights

The Republicans have announced their advocacy for a seniors' bill of rights and have released a new ad which can be viewed on You Tube in promotion of their cause.

RNC Chair Michael Steele announced today in an email that the Republicans have launched a new ad to promote the Seniors' Bill of Rights. The Seniors' Bill of Rights addresses what Republicans feel are necessary protections to seniors in regards to health care. The new ad is available on YouTube and features Republican Chair Michael Steele talking in a personable almost sing-song manner to the audience. The playful style of speech was criticized when Gov. Jindal used it in a Republican rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union. The Seniors' Bill of Rights was first introduced by Michael Steele to America in a Wall Street Journal Op/Ed. In the article Steele laid out six rights that Republicans feel should be guaranteed for Seniors in regards to health care. The list as well as an extended reason for each right can be found on the GOP website. Protect Medicare And Not Cut It In The Name Of Health Care Reform Republicans claim that cuts to Medicare will hurt seniors. The cuts will comprise of $500 billion and will include the restriction of benefits from Medicare Advantage and hospital payments. Republicans argue that cutting Medicare to fund the current Health Care proposal in H.R. 3200 is dangerous to the health and well being of seniors. Democrats insist that the cuts will save Medicare from going in the red and that H.R. 3200 will provide funding and programs that will make up for cuts to Medicare. This will not be the first time Democrats have approved of cuts to Medicare as they had under Clinton. The cuts proved to help with the national deficit. The battle over medicare has been ongoing and has even afforded political fodder for congress during the Bush Administration. Prohibit Government From Getting Between Seniors And Their Doctors Republicans contend that H.R. 3200 sets up committees that may heavily regulate insurance and as a consequence deny seniors and doctors the ability to chose treatments that go against the opinion of the various commissions. Prohibit Efforts To Ration Health Care Based On Age Republicans are concerned that appointed bodies to various commissions could enforce healthcare rationing based on age. The concern stems from the appointment of Ezekiel Emanuel as Special Health Adviser to Director, Office of Management and Budget . Dr. Emanuel is a proponent of the Complete Lives System which advocates the rationing of health care in instances of scarce resources. The System would put the elderly at the end of the line when it comes to necessity of treatment for life threatening illnesses. One such panel of experts has been labeled as the "comparative effectiveness research commission," which has been cited on the GOP website as a particular concern. Prevent Government From Interfering With End-Of-Life Care Discussions Sec 1233 of H.R.3200 outlines incentives for doctors to have end of life counselings with seniors to prepare them and their families for tragedy. The section also provides public funding for these visits. Republicans, however, contend that the section also mandates these counselings on pain of negative performance reviews. They have also been criticized as slanted towards seniors accepting DNR orders and Comfort Care in lieu of life extending and expensive surgeries. Democrats attribute the last three arguments to the Death Panel debate and claim that it is based on lies and steeped in scare tactics. Ensure Seniors Can Keep Their Current Coverage This right is reflective of the first right and goes on to explain that cuts to Medicare will drive seniors from their chosen health coverage, according to Republicans. Protect Veterans By Preserving Tricare And Other Benefit Programs For Military Families Republicans claim Democrats wish to increase the fees assessed on the TriCare for Life program which is available to retired military members and their families. Republicans believe this is putting undue burden on soldiers and families and that America must honor them and not over tax this demographic. Democrats have come out strong in response to the ad. The Boston Globe reports:

"Michael Steele and the Republicans are unbelievable," Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse said in a statement today responding to the RNC ad. "After failing to stop the President on the Recovery Act, the budget, equal pay for women and children's health care, Republicans have decided that they have no other choice when it comes to blocking health insurance reform than to lie to the American people and try to scare seniors - all in their admitted effort to 'break' the President on this issue and 'kill' reform for political gain.

"The RNC's 'Senior's Bill Of Rights' is nothing more than a scare tactic built on a foundation of lies about the effort to reform health insurance. Which begs the question, why can't Republicans debate health insurance reform on the merits instead of making stuff up out of whole cloth? Because they know the crux of what President Obama has proposed -- lowering costs, preserving choice, expanding access and reversing decades of unfair insurance industry practices -- is popular with the American people and they don't stand a chance of blocking reform if they deal with the issue honestly."