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*** UPDATE 1 *** The DCCC is now using Plummer’s comment in a new TV ad…
* Script…
When he praised the plan to end traditional Medicare… …Jason Plummer said the benefits are “pretty obvious.”
You see, even though it makes seniors negotiate with insurance companies for coverage
… and pay sixty-four hundred dollars more every year
…it gives a massive new tax break to millionaires like Plummer.
That might be the obvious choice for Plummer, but ending the Medicare guarantee is wrong choice for the middle-class.
*** UPDATE 2 *** NRCC response…
Nancy Pelosi’s campaign arm, the DCCC, has seen the writing on the wall for Blagojevich’s General Bill Enyart and his struggling campaign. Today the DCCC launched a false and negative attack ad against Jason Plummer in an attempt to distract voters from the fact that their recruitment process failed them once again and they are stuck with a lackluster candidate in Blago appointee and trial lawyer Bill Enyart.
As you cover the DCCC’s lame attempt to cover up the fact that Bill Enyart can’t gain momentum with voters, please consider the following quote.
NRCC Statement: “Trial Lawyer Bill Enyart’s Washington attack dogs are hoping they can distract voters from the fact that Bill is an Obama-Pelosi rubber stamp who will vote against Southern Illinois at every turn. The best way to keep Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi’s radical policies out of Southern Illinois is to keep trial lawyer Bill Enyart out of Congress.” – NRCC Spokeswoman Katie Prill
*** UPDATE 3 *** DCCC…
Unexplained Millionaire Jason Plummer Calls Radical Congressman Who Compared Social Security to Slavery “An American Hero”
The Tea Party Majority Congress is one of the most unproductive and unpopular in history, and Unexplained Millionaire Jason Plummer today signaled he’s in line with its most polarizing and extreme Members. Plummer praised Tea Party radical Congressman Allen West who is best known for incendiary comments like claiming Social Security is “a form of modern 21st century slavery,” and that “if you support Medicare the way it is now, you can kiss the United States of America goodbye.” Plummer today pledged to work with West and called him “an American hero.”
“Unexplained millionaire Jason Plummer has found a role model in Washington - one of the most extreme Tea Party Members of Congress who believes Social Security is slavery and Medicare will be the end of the U.S.,” said Haley Morris of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Southern Illinois families are fed up with the mess in Washington, and Plummer today proved that he will make things worse by joining the most extreme ranks of the Tea Party majority in Congress.”
Background
West Compared Social Security to Slavery. “Since June of 2009 or so, we have seen 2.4 million private sector jobs created, but we’ve had 3.1 million people going on Social Security disability,” said West. “So once again, we are creating a sense of economic dependence, which to me, is a form of modern 21st century slavery.” [Sun-Sentinel, 7/09/12]
West Said Medicare Would End United States. “I gotta tell you something: If you support Medicare the way it is now, you can kiss the United States of America goodbye.” [WPTV, 4/27/11]
Plummer Called West an “American Hero.” In September 2011, Plummer praised Allen West calling him an “American hero.” Plummer said it was an “honor” to receive West’s endorsement and is looking forward to working with him if elected to Congress. [JasonPlummer.com, 9/24/12]
West Voted to End Medicare, Protect Tax Breaks for Big Oil and Millionaires, Encourage Companies to Ship Jobs Overseas. West voted for two budgets authored by Congressman Paul Ryan. The budgets would end Medicare’s guaranteed benefit, protect $40 billion in tax breaks for big oil, provide people earning more than $1 million a year with an average tax cut of $265,000, and create incentives for corporations to shift profits and jobs overseas. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office estimated it will increase health care costs by an extra $6,359 by 2022 for future Medicare beneficiaries, while a household making between $50,000 and $100,000 would face a tax increase of at least $1,358. [H Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11; H Con Res 112, Vote #151, 3/29/12; Center for American Progress, 3/20/12; Center for American Progress, 3/20/12; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/27/12; Tax Policy Center, Table T12-0078 and T10-0132; Citizens for Tax Justice, 3/22/12; Joint Economic Committee, 5/20/11; Joint Economic Committee, 6/20/12]
* Last week’s debate between Republican Jason Plummer, Democrat Bill Enyart and Green Party nominee Paula Bradshaw included some testy back and forth over the so-called “Ryan plan.” The Democrats are saying that Ryan’s proposal has been a “down-ballot disaster” for the GOP, and candidates are actively running away from it, including Plummer…
Enyart accused Plummer of endorsing the deep cuts in federal spending, including the privatization of Medicare, called for in the Ryan plan.
Plummer denied supporting the Ryan plan.
“Let me repeat this in front of everybody,” Plummer said. “I have never endorsed Paul Ryan’s budget. And I do not support Paul Ryan’s budget. And if you say that again you’re being dishonest to the people of Southern Illinois.”
Plummer said that if Enyart was going to be dishonest to the people of Southern Illinois “when you’re asking for their vote, what are you going to do when you’re their congressman?”
* Enyart’s response…
Enyart said he had seen a tape of Plummer endorsing the plan. In defending their accusation, Bresler quoted Plummer speaking in June at town hall in Alton. A video of the speech is on YouTube.
In the video, Plummer doesn’t explicitly say he endorses the plan, but said the benefits of it are “pretty obvious” and puts social security in a situation where it will be there when people are retiring. Plummer also said the negatives of the plan “are very political, to be frank.”
“That’s an endorsement,” Bresler said.
Plummer said Enyart was trying to change the topic of conversation in the campaign by “making up the story” about the Ryan plan.
“I’m sure he’s going to go out there and take something out of context and splice a video or something, but the honest truth is pretty simple,” Plummer said. “He knows I’ve never endorsed it, he knows I’ve spoken out against several different portions of the plan.”
* The Democrats have been using a video from a June 12th Alton town hall appearance by Plummer to reinforce their case. From the DCCC…
Plummer “Thinks The Benefits Of The Ryan Plan Are Pretty Obvious.” At a June 2012 town hall, Plummer was asked if he supported the Ryan plan. He answered “The specifics of it are pretty simple. I think that the Ryan plan aggressively addresses basically every entitlement program that we have. […] I think the benefits of the Ryan plan are pretty obvious. They aggressively put Social Security in a situation where it will actually be there for people that are retiring. It puts Medicare in a situation that it will actually be there to fund the healthcare needs of the people that it’s there for. The negatives of the Ryan care are very political to be frank.”
* But that excerpt doesn’t tell the whole story. Here’s the full video of Plummer’s Ryan plan remarks…
* And here’s my transcript of Plummer’s Ryan plan comments which the DCCC and Enyart missed…
“They’re gonna have these ads where we’re dumping senior citizens over the cliff. They’re gonna talk about everything that they can possibly talk about except for the stuff that will actually solve the problems we’re facing. And so the negatives of the Ryan plan are exactly those things. They’re going to try to use the Ryan plan to defeat Republicans across this country because they’re going to turn it into something that it’s not.
“It’s not something that’s going to devastate the lives of senior citizens. It’s not something that’s gonna be destructive to American families across the 12th Congressional District. But they’re gonna try to portray it as that.
“And we need to make sure that we have people out there going, ‘You know what, don’t you want to solve the problems or do you just want to talk about the problems?’
“And I think Republicans are trying to solve the problems, and they need reinforcements in Washington, DC to make sure that gets done.”
He gets closer in that video to endorsing the Ryan plan of anything I’ve seen yet.
* I showed my transcript to Enyart’s campaign. Its response…
Yes, that last line is the best part. They need soldiers like Jason to help end Medicare
Discuss.
* Related…
* VIDEO: Full debate
* VIDEO: After the Debate - Jason Plummer
* VIDEO: After the Debate - Bill Enyart
* VIDEO: After the Debate - Paula Bradshaw
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 10:53 am
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When candidates like Plummer are running away from Paul Ryan’s budget faster than the Roadrunner from Wile E. Coyote, you know there’s a problem for the Romney-Ryan ticket. That they’ve kept Ryan off center stage since his nomination, only to send him to AARP to be booed demonstrates that the only people who don’t believe Ryan’s budget is a disaster are Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.
Heck, even Romney ran away from the Ryan budget last night on 60 Minutes. When you’ve lost AARP, you’ve lost Florida.
45 days to go. Meep meep.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 11:01 am
Romney has his own budget, and has never endorsed the Ryan budget, although Romney’s does incorporate some of Ryan’s ideas.
Both plans end Medicare as we know it since the current path leads to extinction of the program. Obamacare removes $800B from Medicare, which also sounds like it changes Medicare as we know it too, without the long-term program stability offered by the Republicans.
Comment by Cincinnatus Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 11:11 am
opps. can’t run away from it when you say it yourself.
Comment by amalia Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 11:12 am
“I didn’t, um, I didn’t actually say the endorsement word, which is how you endorse something, um, and, er, my opponenents say endorse all the time, and I don’t do that. I like the power rangers, and, um, but I don’t like every character as much as I like them in spongebob. And I can still like some of the characters without it being an endorsement, which is a word I don’t even use…” JP
Comment by Small Town Liberal Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 11:17 am
I’m surprized Plummer even knows anything about Ryan’s plan, beyond his general support of it. His argument against it seems to be that he knows it’s becoming unpopular, and will cost GOP candidates votes.
Comment by walkinfool Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 11:20 am
It’s not going to fly. The far-right (not all Republicans) have been moaning about “socialized medicine” and “dependency” and “entitlements” when it comes to health care for more than 50 years.
Now they’re Medicare’s great defenders? Everyone knows that ain’t rain falling on their shoes.
The saddest part of the “60 Minutes” interview was Romney walking away from his record in Massachusetts and talking about how people getting health care in emergency rooms was not so bad.
Here’s a guy who actually advanced the ball in a smart and meaningful way with a government/private sector partnership that strove for universal coverage and reduced costs but required a level of personal responsibility.
It was a Heritage Foundation plan, for crying out loud, and now he has to disown it to keep the far right from slitting his throat.
Morning Joe today juxtaposed his “60 Minutes” quotes last night with an eloquent, full-throated defense of Romneycare he made in 2010. Very sad.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 11:33 am
Why does Enyart never actually comment on anything? It is always his campaign manager. Its crazy to see how these clips are edited to slant the view.
Comment by Snark Encouraged Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 11:48 am
===Its crazy to see how these clips are edited to slant the view. ===
Which clips?
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 11:51 am
===Why does Enyart never actually comment on anything?===
A …GOOD … campaign has a good spokesman, and leaves the campaigning to the candidate. If this is new to you, then I hope you learned something.
Also,
Romney released a Tax Return … so … When will Jason Plummer???
Betcha that is the next hit coming ….keep hiding those returns, & saying the “former” congressman didn’t ain’t gonna work in the ad … Tough days ahead for Jason Plummer.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 12:01 pm
Re: last week’s debate
1) How tall is Plummer and how tall is Enyart? The height difference with Enyart sort of the same height as the female Green candidate made Plummer kind of look like Frankenstein up there.
2) Plummer’s claim that he “inherited nothing” because his parents were in the audience was pretty freaking laughable. It was something that Romney also had said in his “47 percent” video. What is wrong with these guys that they can’t realize/admit how blessed they were and just say they want other people to be as blessed as they were?
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 12:46 pm
Oswego, when are Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi going to release tax returns?
Comment by Disconnect Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 1:04 pm
- Oswego, when are Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi going to release tax returns? -
Are they running for something in Illinois? Or are you just good talking point parrot for the GOP?
Comment by Small Town Liberal Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 1:19 pm
===- Oswego, when are Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi going to release tax returns? -
Are they running for something in Illinois? Or are you just good talking point parrot for the GOP?===
Jason can run, and run, and run from this, but until Jason Plummer comes clean on his taxes, it will dog him something awful.
As far as I know … “Pelosi” and “Reid” are NOT running here in ILlinois … but Jason Plummer is and is made it quite clear that Romney hasn’t so he won’t …
Well, Romney DID … where o’ where are those returns, Jason?
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 1:33 pm
Credit the NRCC with one thing - they’re predictable. Every reply is like a child’s treasury of Democrats they believe unpopular.
I’ll make a small donation if they can work Rostenkowski into the next one.
Comment by Bill F. Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 2:20 pm
Plummer is an intensely bad match for that district even so, expect a fierce and highly negative response against enyart. Too much money and no common sense is a recipe for disaster. As Romney fades some will be cut loose soon having carried the water for the GOP.
Comment by Madison Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 2:22 pm
Okay, have we seen Cheri Bustos tax return? Have we ever seen Costellos?
Look, I can’t stand Plummer. But in this instance, I just don’t get how people apply such a double standard with a straight face. Lots of Congressmen haven’t released their tax returns. lots of candidates haven’t. I don’t get why Plummer isn’t held to the same standard.
And yes, I understand that its entertaining. My gossipy side would love to see those huge paychecks from Daddy for what probably amounts to little or no work, all since the age of 16.
But it’s an obvious double standard.
Comment by Disconnect Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 3:00 pm
===Okay, have we seen Cheri Bustos tax return? Have we ever seen Costellos?===
Not running against Bustos, and … Not running agianst Costello.
===I don’t get why Plummer isn’t held to the same standard.
And yes, I understand that its entertaining. My gossipy side would love to see those huge paychecks from Daddy for what probably amounts to little or no work, all since the age of 16.===
Jason has not had ONE single job, (not intership, J-O-B) that did NOT have his Dad as the HR department. Further, if Jason is self-funding, how is he paying for that, does he make enough to PAY for his own “donations”? Is Jason selling stock to MOM and DAD … selling and getting money …FROM MOM AND DAD to pay for his run?
Jason has done NOTHING on his own to warrant the spending he, personally, is spending. So … where is that cash coming?
Jason called Romney out, no Romney has disclosed … so … Jason … where are the returns?
MORE than fair, given his “work” history, and his, “not until ‘this’ or ‘that’ …” Well, ‘this and that’ came to roost.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 3:20 pm
- But it’s an obvious double standard. -
No it isn’t, if the candidates in those races want to make an issue of it, they’re free to do so.
However, we have seen Enyart’s taxes, and he’s the person running against Plummer, so there is no double standard.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 3:22 pm
Jerry Costello never released his tax returns in 24 years of being in Congress. Not even after he was a key figure in a federal RICO trial that sent 2 of his former business partners to federal prison. Costello was recently quoted as saying, “I would release my returns if I were a candidate, but I’m retiring.” Gee…how convenient.
Comment by East Sider Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 3:27 pm
Bill Enyart also keeps saying that the economy in Southern Illinois is “getting better,” despite the fact that the unemployment rate in the 12th Congressional district continues to rise. He blamed the rise in unemployment rates on “the economy is getting better and more people are out looking for work now.” Does anyone living in reality buy that bogus explanation?
Comment by East Sider Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 3:29 pm
===Jerry Costello never released his tax returns in 24 years of being in Congress.===
NOT… NOT! Running against Jerry costello, so get over that! Geez!
===Bill Enyart also keeps saying that the economy in Southern Illinois is “getting better,” despite the fact that the unemployment rate in the 12th Congressional district continues to rise. He blamed the rise in unemployment rates on “the economy is getting better and more people are out looking for work now.” Does anyone living in reality buy that bogus explanation?===
Work is going good for Jason … wonder what Jason’s Tax Return(s) would show how “good” things are at RP Lumber …
This Tax Return thing … it will start haunting Jason, now that Romney released … What is Jason hiding? How is Jason getting his money to PAY for this campaign … IS selling stocks BACK to MOM and DAD … does tham mean Mom and Dad are paying for this campaign???
It’s a GREAT economy at RP Lumber …
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 3:37 pm
“Unexplained Millionaire” seems like such an awkward phrase. Personally I’d go with “Mystery Millionaire” if only for the alliteration.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 3:39 pm
What a pitiful ad. Petty, shallow, whiney and embarrassing.
“Unexplained millionaire”? Really? Who could be so petty to use such a stupid description?
Plummer seems too naive and stupid to fool us. I kind of like that.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Sep 24, 12 @ 11:06 pm
–Plummer seems too naive and stupid to fool us. I kind of like that.–
I bet you do. Stand up for the Naive and Stupid Nation.
Won’t get fooled again……….
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 25, 12 @ 9:30 am
Bob Plummer has been grooming Jason to be President some day. People who knew Jason at U of I will tell you that Jason used to introduce himself to girls at parties by asking if they would like to be First Lady some day. This family is extremely egotistical and is feared and reviled by a large number of Edwardsville residents.
Comment by GlenEd Tuesday, Sep 25, 12 @ 12:34 pm