Tim Pawlenty — who has not yet released a plan to reform Medicare, only vague outlines of one — is attacking President Obama for not having a Medicare plan and drinking Guinness in Ireland.
Earlier today, Pawlenty finally chose a side in the fight over Medicare, telling reporters in New Hampshire he’d sign Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) budget plan if he was in office — but reiterating his promise to unveil his own plan at some point in the future. Democrats, who see Medicare as their path to fame and fortune in 2012, pounced immediately and called out Pawlenty for getting on board with what they say is an electoral loser.
This was Pawlenty’s version of a comeback, tweeted from his campaign account:
“@BarackObama sorry to interrupt the European pub crawl, but what was your Medicare plan?”
Republicans have attacked Obama and Democrats over and over for not offering their own Medicare plan in the wake of the Ryan budget which has roiled politics since Congress passed it. Democrats have not released a comprehensive plan in response to the Ryan budget, but the health care law Obama signed in 2010 was his answer to bringing down the cost of Medicare while preserving its core feature: guaranteed health care. Or as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) put it: “We have a plan. It’s called Medicare.”
Republicans have threatened to undo that scheme, and of course Pawlenty is in favor of repealing the health care law as is every other mainline Republican running for president.
Pawlenty has praised the Ryan plan, but has promised to release his own Medicare reform plan that is different from Ryan’s. That plan is expected in the coming weeks.
