On May 1st, CNN.com had a story that went unnoticed by me until this afternoon. I had taken advantage of a service called Instapaper.com to save the story as it popped up on Twitter during the day on Sunday, a day I normally try to take off.
“Republicans wavering on Medicare overhaul plan,” was the headline that grabbed my attention, mainly because there is nothing more critical to having the majority than message unity, a noticeable problem for Republicans during the 112th Congress. Some chalk it up to the record-setting freshman class that was elected in November of 2010 and their fundamental lack of understanding of how important this simple concept is. Message unity and discipline was not an issue for Nancy Pelosi during the Health Care Reform debate. She kept her party members in line, even as it proved to be the vote to cost them reelection. I will give a small amount of validity to a freshman learning curve, but it is not the whole problem. This article highlights that it is Michele Bachmann of Minnesota that is currently the leader of the dissenters. Because of her, other members have the confidence to step out of line, using her same logic because, as a national leader of their movement, she must have it right.
“One position that I'm concerned about is shifting the cost burden to senior citizens," Bachmann said on "Fox News Sunday." "Seniors are saying, 'Look, I'm not in a position to be able to handle that.' I also share that real fear. That's why I put the asterisk out there.”
Passing the “Ryan Plan” is going to be a monumental task, and the process does not get easier when you have “chinks in the armor” created by members under your own tent.
Many times, I think that Rep. Bachmann’s team subscribes to the philosophy of “any press is good press” because, clearly, her comments are misguided. The facts just don’t line up. She is referring to current seniors. Well, a fundamental talking point of the plan is that if you are over 55 today, you are not affected by any of these changes. So, today’s seniors will not see any financial impact, and anyone that is affected has time to plan for the change. Also, she fails to mention that part of the plan is for those who cannot afford it; there are protections that will be put in place. Rather than “put the asterisk out there,” Bachmann should have jumped at the chance to set the record straight by clearing up the issue with this particular Senior. The information for Bachmann is easily available: “Saving Medicare,” “Paul Ryan Sets The Record Straight,” “Ryan Answers Obama,” “General Questions on The Path to Prosperity”
Having a firm understanding of the policy before talking about it, is critically important and, ultimately, Rep. Bachmann’s responsibility as an elected official. And by not doing so, she is doing a disservice to her constituency, and the country. Too often we see good people sent to Washington, only for them to get caught up in the hype, becoming focused on themselves and seeing their own name in print. It is important to stay grounded, and remember that it should be about the greater good.
Chairman Ryan has gone to great lengths to ensure that good information is getting out about his proposal, even going as far as to release the YouTube Video shown below. It would be a shame to watch all this work go down the drain because members of his own party can’t stay on message.
So the next time you go wandering out into the weeds of your message, think about the overall ramifications. It is important to say what you need to say, but don’t do it at the cost of good policy just because you didn’t take the time to get the facts right.
