This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Aug. 13, 2012 - Top area Republicans gathered Monday in Affton to laud new vice presidential pick Paul Ryan as a catalyst to focus this fall’s campaign – from top to bottom – on budgetary issues.
“He’s going to add energy to this ticket – it’s exciting,” said Ann Wagner, the Republican congressional nominee in the 2nd District. “We’re going to have a substantive discussion about cutting our spending, about reining in government and making some of the adult decisions that need to be made as we go forward [with] our budget.”
Democrats appear to welcome that debate. The national Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee alsounleashed a new statewide ad campaign Monday that blasts GOP U.S. Senate nominee Todd Akin for supporting dramatic changes in Social Security and Medicare – two programs featured in Ryan’s proposed federal budget.
The ad features Akin himself, as the six-term congressman talks about why he dislikes how Social Security and Medicare are set up. Akin has voted in favor of the Ryan budget. The DSCC asserts in a statement that “Todd Akin’s Dangerous Plans for Social Security Would Be Devastating For Missouri Seniors” because he supports privatization.
“Tea Party Congressman Todd Akin’s views are far out of the mainstream,” said Matt Canter, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “Akin’s dangerous plans to gamble Social Security benefits on Wall Street might serve his campaign contributors, but it would hit Missouri seniors with devastating consequences. As Missouri voters learn more about Todd Akin’s Tea Party agenda, they’ll quickly realize that they can’t afford to send him to the Senate.”
Akin is challenging U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who is traveling this week in rural Missouri to highlight her disagreements with the congressman on such issues. She also announced today the formation of a supportive farmers group.
Meanwhile, the Republican event was held at Donelson Cycles in Affton. Former U.S. Sen. Jim Talent – who lost to McCaskill in 2006 – joined Wagner to praise Ryan’s selection by presumed GOP nominee Mitt Romney.
Former U.S. Sen. Jim Talent and Republican Ann Wagner discuss U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan's selection as likely GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate.
“He’s going to be a very powerful communicator of the basic message of this campaign,” said Talent, a Republican who’s served as one of Romney’s chief Missouri surrogates. “Which is: The president’s policies of increasing the size and the power of thefederal government – increasing spending, increasing taxes, regulating the economy more through legislation like Obamacare – is what has caused us to be in these economic doldrums.”
Wagner added that Ryan is “an agenda-based conservative who’s going to talk about issues.”
Asked whether Ryan’s plan for Medicare could concern some voters, Talent replied that the federal health care law – known as the Affordable Care Act -- shifts hundreds of billions of dollars out of the Medicare program. That type of statement has become a common Republican criticism of the federal health care law.
According to FactCheck.org, the law cuts the future growth of Medicare over a 10-year period – primarily by reducing insurance subsidies for private Medicare “Advantage” plans and curbing the growth of future payments to health care providers such as hospitals.
“It’s unprecedented to use Medicare as a cash cow to pay for something else,” Talent said, referring to other provisions of the health care law. “I’ve said to seniors if you let them get away with that, you can say goodbye to Medicare, because they’ll keep dipping in and dipping in and dipping in.”
Political figures such as Talent and Wagner weren’t the only people enthusiastic about Ryan’s selection. Larry Whalen, a Jefferson County resident who manages Donelson Cycles, said that Ryan was among a few people who he saw as “great choices” to be Romney’s running mate.
“Unlike the last election, Sarah Palin was a surprise,” Whalen said. “This election, Paul Ryan was an absolute perfect choice. Because he feels mid-America, small town America -- he lives it. He’s what we are. He’s what America is all about.”
In fact, Whalen said he viewed Ryan as a stronger choice for president than Romney. “I can relate to him more than I can with Mitt Romney,”Whalen said. “I’m a middle-class American. I can relate to him being from Wisconsin, going hunting, going to Packers football games. That I can relate to. That’s what I see as the guy who represents me.”
