Answer to Anti-Medicare Plan?

Dear Madame L,

I gather that you and your pal Aunt Louise object to the Republican Party's proposed 2012 budget essentially because, as you and your ilk say, it would "destroy Medicare as we know it."

So, then, what is your alternative plan?

Sincerely,

A Faithful Reader

Dear Reader,

The Democratic Party's answer to the Paul Ryan proposed budget is: ... Wait for it ...

                                          Medicare.

Americans, whether they consider themselves to be on the right, left, middle, independent, fence, or wherever, agree that they want Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security to continue as they have in the past. They recognize that more can be done to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, and of course they want that. But the basic social nets we have all worked for are essential.

Americans of all political bents are asking themselves now why the Republicans, who were voted into office on promises of cutting government spending and creating jobs and who complained in 2008 and are still complaining about the "bailout" of American automakers and state governments to help them through the recent economic problems have not created any jobs and are proposing to take money from the poor, the elderly, and the young.

Americans, even those who oppose abortion, are wondering why legislators who claim to be protecting us all from government intrusion, are so concerned about women's bodies that they are legislating rules that require women to go through government bureaucratic procedures before they can receive health care.

Americans are wondering how current Republican officials can continue to justify accepting so much money from the big businesses whom they are supposed to be regulating.

Americans are wondering what happened to the society they thought their fathers and mothers had worked hard to create for them, a society that takes care of its weakest members, that expects wealthy corporations and individuals to pay their fair share, that doesn't throw Grandma and Grandpa and Little Nell over the cliff.

Americans are starting to wake up, pull the wool off their eyes, see through the lies and hypocrisy that fooled them in 2010, and realize that the answer to the Republican Kill-Medicare budget is:

                                          Medicare.

Sincerely,

Madame L