One Week Later: McConnell Effect Drags Down GOP

Politico ‘Campaign gold’: McConnell delivers election gift to Manchin and red-state Dems

In the week since Mitch McConnell admitted his new effort to cut Medicare and Social Security, his threat to earned benefits has shown up in campaigns across the country, putting Republican Senate candidates on defense — again.

Arizona

Associated Press: Sinema on campaign blitz as Trump pushes for McSally

• Sinema went on to attack McSally’s votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a law that cut protections for pre-existing conditions and was expected to boost premiums for older Americans, noting that McSally recently said she’d like to take that same vote again.

Indiana

CNHI News: McConnell ‘misguided’ on Medicare reform, Donnelly says

• McConnell then called for reforms to Medicare and Social Security, echoing comments by Ryan last year.
• During an afternoon stop in Anderson, Donnelly, a Democrat, pledged, “I’m going to fight for Social Security and Medicare. … What we ought to do is run our government for average regular families. That’s what I try to do every day.”

The Herald Bulletin: Ken de la Bastide column: Silence not a trait Braun needs

• Braun said he was on a “fast track” and suggested I contact his campaign staff for an interview.
• My intent was to ask the candidate about a recent remark by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell calling for reforms to Social Security and Medicare because the national debt is expected to rise by $779 billion this year.

Florida

Tampa Bay Times: Did Mitch McConnell just cut Bill Nelson a huge break by foreshadowing Medicare cuts?

• Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said this week that cuts to entitlement programs — Washington-speak for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security — are necessary due to rising federal deficits.
• Nelson doesn’t expect that will go over well in Florida, home to 1.9 million Medicare recipients and where nearly one-in-five residents retirement age or older.
• “Mitch McConnell made a big mistake yesterday: he gave away his real intentions,” Nelson said Wednesday. “You let the seniors of this state know the Majority Leader is thinking about cutting Social Security and Medicare, they’re not going to be too happy.”

Missouri

Senate Debate

Judy Woodruff: Mr. Hawley, the first question goes to you […] Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said this week that the main drivers of the deficit are entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, which he said should be considered for cutbacks. Do you agree – here’s the question – do you agree with Leader McConnell that Social Security and Medicare are the leading drivers of the deficit and that they have to reformed, cut back in some way, in order to get the deficit under control?

Nevada

Senate Debate

Jacky Rosen: You know, I want to say what Senator Heller’s been working on – he talked about the tax bill – that tax bill added $1.8 trillion to the debt and they’re signaling now, Mitch McConnell, his friend Mitch McConnell, that they want to balance our budget on the backs of senior citizens through deep cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

Ohio

Senate Debate

Sherrod Brown: I hear Congressman Renacci continue to talk about the federal budget deficit. He said he was an architect of this tax bill that went to the wealthiest people in this country and caused stock buybacks to reward corporate executives, and gave a 50 percent off coupon to companies on their taxes, for companies that shut down in Columbus and move overseas, they save 50 percent of their tax. But that blew this huge hole in the federal budget deficit, and his leaders, leaders in Congress, want to close that budget deficit by cutting Medicare and Social Security. You give tax breaks to the richest people and then you stick it to hard working Americans that have paid into Social Security and Medicare their whole lives. I think it is bad economics and it’s just wrong wrong.

Pennsylvania  

Senate Debate

Moderator Jim Gardner: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is saying that because of the increasing deficit, it’s time to look at entitlements and possibly reducing Social Security and Medicare. You think that’s a good thing? You think that’s reasonable? You think that’s right?

Congressman Barletta: Yes.

West Virginia

Politico: ‘Campaign gold’: McConnell delivers election gift to Manchin and red-state Dems

Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are vital to West Virginia. And in an interview on Saturday as he prepared for the annual Apple Harvest Parade, Manchin called McConnell’s comments “absolutely ridiculous” and said his Republican opponent, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, would vote to curtail benefits “in a heartbeat.” Manchin also dredged up Morrisey’s support during a 2000 congressional race in New Jersey for partially privatizing Social Security funds.

“He’ll be a yes man, 1,000 percent, whatever they ask him to do,” Manchin said of Morrisey and GOP leaders.

Wisconsin

Senate Debate

Moderator Mike Gousha: Senator McConnell said this past week, Senate Majority Leader, that again that we might have to take a look at, he says, entitlement programs, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. Do you agree with him? Do we have to make changes to those programs?

Leah Vukmir: So, Senator McConnell – that’s your version of what he said –

Gousha: Did he not say that?

 

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