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<b>Poll: 70% Of Tea Partiers Oppose Cuts To Medicare, Medicaid</b><br>
Jon Terbush | April 20, 2011, 3:05PM<br>
<br>
...In a McClatchy-Marist poll released this week, 70% of registered
voters who identify with the Tea Party opposed making cuts to either
Medicare or Medicaid -- the government-run health programs for the
elderly and the poor -- to help reduce the nation's deficit.
Meanwhile, only 28% of tea partiers said they'd be willing to cut
spending on those two programs.<br>
<br>
Tea partiers were not alone in opposing Medicare and Medicaid cuts.
An overwhelming 80% of all respondents said they opposed such cuts,
with a majority of every demographic measured in the survey lining
up against them.<br>
<br>
...The Tea Party has led the charge to slash government spending,
but the Marist poll suggests they're loathe to touch what amounts to
about 20% of the entire federal budget.<br>
<br>
The Marist poll was conducted April 10-14 among 1,084 registered
voters nationwide. It has a margin of error of 3.0%.<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/poll-70-of-tea-partiers-oppose-cuts-to-medicare-medicaid.php">http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/poll-70-of-tea-partiers-oppose-cuts-to-medicare-medicaid.php</a><br>
<b><br>
<br>
Paul Ryan Gets Booed By Constituents For Opposing Tax Hikes On
Rich </b><br>
Benjy Sarlin | April 20, 2011, 2:37PM<br>
<br>
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), architect of the House GOP's budget, drew a
resounding chorus of boos at a town hall appearance in his district
after touting the benefits of tax cuts for the wealthy.<br>
<br>
In a video posted by ThinkProgress, an attendee at the event this
week told Ryan that he believes the rich should pay higher taxes to
help close the deficit and strengthen Social Security.<br>
<br>
"The middle class is disappearing right now," he said. "During this
time of prosperity, the top 1 percent was taking about 10 percent of
the total annual income, but yet today we are fighting to not let
the tax breaks for the wealthy expire?"<br>
<br>
Ryan protested that "We do tax the top," before being drowned out by
the audience's jeers.<br>
<br>
Polls have shown increasing taxes on the wealthy enjoys strong
public support across the political spectrum despite near-universal
opposition from GOP lawmakers ... Ryan's budget proposal ... cuts
taxes for the rich while making major cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/paul-ryan-gets-booed-by-consituents-for-opposing-tax-hikes-on-rich-video.php">http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/paul-ryan-gets-booed-by-consituents-for-opposing-tax-hikes-on-rich-video.php</a><br>
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