Back Away From Our Medicare

If Republicans were smart, they would realize what the traditionally conservative voters of Western New York (4 Democrats in over 150 years) told them yesterday...

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Democrats picked off a heavily Republican upstate New York congressional seat Tuesday in a special election that became a referendum on Medicare and may have blunted further GOP efforts to cut popular entitlement programs as a way to close the federal deficit.

Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul defeated Republican state Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, capturing 47 percent of the vote to 43 percent for Corwin, to win the seat in the 26th Congressional District. A wealthy tea party candidate, Jack Davis, took 9 percent.

The rural-suburban district between Buffalo and Rochester is one of New York's most conservative and has been held by a Republican — including national names like Jack Kemp — for years. But Corwin saw her early lead dissolve after coming out in favor of a Republican budget plan that would cut billions from Medicare, the government health plan for seniors.

And that message is simply, "Keep your hands off our Medicare."

Fortunately for Democrats, Republicans aren't smart and Tea Party people are even dumber. There's nothing courageous or innovative about scrapping social programs and continuing to give the wealthy and mega corporations huge tax breaks. As long as they continue to ruthlessly beat up on the elderly, the middle class and the poor in order to guarantee breaks for their base, Republicans are going to keep losing elections. But please don't tell 'em.

Oh, and Tea Party? 9% of the vote. Damn, that's one helluva a movement, folks!



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