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Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Sun coverage
Of all the issues the Nevada Legislature will take up in 2013, Medicare, the health care program for seniors, isn’t one of them. That’s because it’s purely a federally run, federally funded system that state lawmakers have no control over.
But that hasn’t stopped Democrat-aligned groups from launching attacks on at least four Republican candidates for the Legislature, accusing them of wanting to end or cut Medicare.
Neither party holds a monopoly on factually challenged or intellectually dishonest attacks in the final days before a campaign. And indeed, Democrats say their candidates have been unfairly attacked for clients they never represented, things they never said and positions they never took.
But the Medicare attacks appear to be part of a coordinated effort — at least three candidates for the state Senate and one assemblyman in a competitive seat have been attacked on Medicare, often by mailers paid for by unions and political action committees, including the Service Employees International Union and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
State Republicans call the attacks “disingenuous and shameful,” adding that they insult the intelligence of Nevada voters.
“The folks doing these ads don’t think much of Nevada voters,” said Sen. Michael Roberson, R-Las Vegas, who has headed GOP campaign efforts to take control of the state Senate. “It’s a complete fabrication. They’re making stuff up out of whole cloth.”
Democrats have accused Republicans of wanting to cut Medicare for years — it’s known in political circles as “Medi-scare.” But the attack usually is reserved for federal races, where the candidates actually might get to vote on a bill that affects the program.
The latest attacks mirror a strategy by Democrats to use national issues against state-level candidates. In 2008, they used a similar tactic to defeat former Sen. Bob Beers and then-Sen. Joe Heck, now a congressman.
Wes Duncan, a Republican candidate for Assembly, said mailers in his district accuse him of wanting to end Medicare and give “tax breaks to millionaires,” another national Democratic attack line.
“I don’t have any power over Medicare,” he said in exasperation. “And apparently, I want to give tax breaks to millionaires, which is funny to me. I think voters are numb to it.”
Leaders of the SEIU and AFSCME in Nevada did not return calls for comment Friday. But Sen. Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, heading the caucus’ campaign efforts, said Medicare attacks are legitimate.
“What we’re trying to do is get people to understand what they’re thinking,” Denis said. “On these types of issues, that’s where their thoughts are.
“Their rhetoric is as empty as their hollow shell of a ground game.”
Denis said the positions come from statements the candidates made.
In the case of Sen. Greg Brower, R-Reno, opponents cherry-picked comments he made when he ran for Congress. Mari Nakashima St. Martin, as spokeswoman for the Nevada Republican Party, sent out a press release praising the Ryan budget.
But Steve Kirk, a former Henderson city councilman, has never come close to the Medicare issue. Mailers from the AFSCME accuse him of wanting to join the “team” that wants to “end Medicare” and attributing the position on Medicare to his “allies and donors.”
“We’re not going to pay $6,400 more per year,” the mailer reads above a picture of a stern elderly lady. “We’re voting against Steve Kirk.”
But vote for Kirk or not, it won’t change Medicare.
It can end by stopping all TV the ads, mailers, polls and phone surveys by any party!
Otherwise, stop complaining! The voters are the victims of all this garbage from both parties.
Here's some mailer messages you can send to people about democrats who are going to vote
DEMOCRATS WANT TO WRECK THE ECONOMY SO THEY CAN GIVE AWAY TRILLIONS IN TAX DOLLARS TO WELFARE, FOODSTAMPS AND SECTION-8 CASES
this applies to all democrat candidates
heres another one
DEMOCRATS WANT SCHOOLS TO BE DAYCARE FOR THE CHILDREN WHOSE TAXPAID PRO-HOMOSEXUAL TEACHERS PRODUCE BAD TEST SCORES
one more
DEMOCRATS WANT US TO SURRENDER TO TERRORISTS
those are the right messages on mailers about democrats
and lest we forget
DEMOCRATS TOOK GOD AND SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL OUT OF THEIR PARTY PLATFORM UNTIL THEY GOT CAUGHT DOING IT AT THEIR CONVENTION
more right messages on mailers about democrats
Truth serum:
You need to take some of that serum yourself. Try it.
State Legislators Gerrymander Districts That allow these Extreme Tea Party Candidates that Oppose Medicare AND Social Security to Run and Somtimes get Elected - Like Dean Heller AND Joe Heck. Too bad this "Reporter" is Short On Journalism and Long on Spewing Republican Talking Points. I think David is working for the Wrong Newspaper and looking to sway the Low Information Crowd.
Apparently Lambert is too ignorant to understand that no Legislature has the power to "allow" or not "allow" citizens of the United States to run for office as long as they are not barred by statute from doing so (term lmits, felony record, under age, living out of district, etc.). As for "Gerrymandering," I share his disgust for it and for all parties who use it to entrench themselves in office. "Gerrymandering" is not in the public interest and, through the courts, has been found to be unconstitutional in many cases. Not enough, but it's a start.
Democrats, SEIU and AFSCME have absolutely NO MORALS .
Democrats, SEIU and AFSCME lie to your face.
obama's closing argument is who can you trust
It is not Democrats
I've always said the Southern Nevada voter is politically inept. Just look at Ben Lambert. Putting a voting machine in front of him is like giving a firebug a molotov cocktail. That is if he even in fact votes. I'm sure Ben Lambert would be one that would vote for Omoron only and then cast the ballot in stead of voting for the other candidates. I witnessed this at early voting. Person voting next to me took 30 seconds to cast a ballot. What does that tell you? The dumocrat argument would call everyone who attended Penn State a pedophile. This comment area is full of these type of people. Just because someone writes something you don't like, make them toast.
Can you expect less from an organization run top-to-bottom by the most vile, petty, vindictive person to ever be in the U.S. Senate?
Quite obviously Reid wants to maintain his stranglehold on us by getting his puppets elected - no matter how low he has to go to accomplish that goal.
I urge you - as a registered nonpartisan - to vote the straight Republican ticket to get Nevada back from under this tyrant's control.
Free people do NOT live under the control of tyrants like this.
Entertaining article. Amazing how funny real life is. And, I hope others appreciate Bill O'Reilly for his comedic value. Now can we challenge DMS to 'splain it all to the entitled, self-righteous far left that the TEA party is not a bunch of extremists, not when compared to the lefties? Balancing a budget even if it hurts versus giving away money we don't have?
Not sure all the Posters here can read, but here goes: TEA party, I hear, has lots of seniors who WANT SS / Medicare in place. They seem to have figured out that the Democrats and non-self-reliant folks have spent us into insolvency and seem to think they are entitled to confiscate much of our income to fund their style of life. Unfortunately, they didn't leave enough funding around to keep the seniors, retirees, intelligent adults, self-reliant voters and almost everyone else happy. They didn't leave enough funding in our take-home pay--they just keep spending on their "needs" and wants without regard for what we need to keep the economy going.
REPUBLICANS CAN'T STOP THE LIES.
REPUBLICANS CAN'T STOP THE SPIN.
THAT'S THE TRUTH!
All republicans are on board with the republican
plan of privatizing MEDICARE with vouchers,
KILLING MEDICARE!
AND ALL REPUBLICANS ARE AGAINST OBAMA CARE!
THAT'S THE TRUTH!
That's the reality of this entire election.
Like it or not.
Republicans have never been this desperate.
And for good reason.
THEIR POLICIES STINK TO HIGH HEAVEN!
No average or low income American should ever
vote for greedy republicans.
They already stole our jobs and sent them to
COMMUNIST CHINA.
Along with those jobs went our health care and
retirements.
Any average American would have to be insane to
vote for these greedy, heartless republican fools.
NEVER VOTE REPUBLICAN!
And teabaggers are extremists.
There are no moderate republicans anymore.
You republicans can't fool us again.
NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!
Medicare has already been cut as a result of Obamacare and the effects of those cuts are already being felt by Nevada residents. My Dad died just recently as a result of being discharged too early - TWICE - from local hospitals following major surgery (surgery that 10 years ago required a 3-week stay - but now, due to Obama's Medicare cuts, the stay was reduced to 5 days because Medicare won't authorize the hospital recovery time any more). I had to threaten Medicare appeals in order to get 3 extra days for him but it didn't help him, he died anyway - he suffered terribly (he had been discharged the first time just after 4 days, returned immediately because he was hemorraghing the moment he was released). I just took my Mom to her doctor on Friday and was told by her physician that Medicare and Medicaid patients are in for a very rude awakening come Jan 2013 if Obama is re-elected and remains in office: both programs are being cut to the bone and services are going away. My friend owns a medical billing service and told me yesterday that over the last year or more she has noticed Medicare reimbursements to doctors have been reduced so dramatically that the doctors she works for are going to stop taking medicare patients. Obamacare won't work and must be repealed.
There are no Medicare cuts because of Obamacare.
Just more heartless republican lies.
Desperate republicans can't stop lying.
Teamster: you are wrong - there were cuts and more to follow.
Sadly, America has been dummy-downed to the point that the majority of American's (including Teamster) do not understand -- and are not interested in understanding -- how insurance works; this is why companies like Geico and AFLAC use an animated lizard and a talking duck to sell the concept of their insurance products. Sadly, this marketing strategy matches the intellectual capacity of many who comprise the general population: which is probably why when the majority of Americans heard Obama boast about the so-called benefits of Obamacare they thought they were getting something for nothing. Unfortunately, it's the other way around. Having worked in the industry I am fully aware that our health insurance costs and the quality of our medical care in America (especially Southern Nevada) are both in desperate need of repair. But, Obamacare is NOT the solution - it's actually making our current healthcare and economic problems much worse and will continue to do so as additional parts of the act are rolled out over the course of the next few years. When Obamacare was first revealed our firm had several clients notify us of their intent to cancel their employee health plans due Obamacare's extreme compliance requirements and high costs. It was determined that paying the fines (mandated by Obamacare) would be less costly to the company than continuing the company's group healthcare program. This is the dilemma facing many small companies, mom-and-pops. In January 2012, when the first parts of Obamacare and other State mandates were rolled out, many of our small group clients saw medical cost increases of 30-50% with some seeing increases as high as 86%. Some of those companies were forced to cancel their health Plans; others went out of business altogether which resulted in more Nevadans unemployed and uninsured. Nearly 80% of America's workforce is employed by small employers; they are not as fortunate as Teamster who receives health and welfare plans as the result of a powerful and influential union that negotiates contracts for wages and benefits. Remember who is instrumental in funding and advancing the cause of the Democratic Party.
Time to get over "who's" level of authority / responsibility it is. Federal SS and Medicare. State and local funding and functioning of Medicaid. Yet the dependents on Medicaid, TANF, Food Stamps, free housing, WIC, and assorted local programs LIVE MUCH BETTER than seniors. Yet federal requirements dictate that we can't turn anyone away from tax-funded food banks, even when they're here illegally. Listen up feds / politicians: Americans have STOPPED DONATING because you give it all to illegals. A volunteer at a local food bank and an employee at a city run food bank both said they FAVOR ILLEGALS on weekly free food trips while they must tell American seniors to not come back. They say the illegals are well dressed, drive up in their new Cadillac Escalades, have smart phones and pretend "no comprendo" when asked to provide any SS number for selves or dependents--6 kids and NO SSN???? Denial of benefits is the ONLY ANSWER--give them bus tickets south.
Hey teamster seems that American Pride has first hand knowledge of whats happening because of Obamacare. Are you calling him a liar?
American Pride very sorry for your loss>
sad teacher truth serum just schooled you.
I suppose that accusing Romney of murdering a cancer patient wasn't a Democratic deal either. Or the lies about Libya. Or Fast and Furious.
The teacher needs the serum.