Obama in 2010: I Wish We Could Have a “Serious Conversation” About Medicare’s Insolvency

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Guy Benson @ Townhall:

This remarkable video, culled from The One’s appearance at the House Republican retreat in 2010, is quite illuminating.  The president calls Paul Ryan’s initial reform package “serious” (it’s since been updated to incorporate a bipartisan solution), he tells the truth about the drivers of our long term and unsustainable debt, and he acknowledges that Ryan’s proposal “grandfathers in” those who are 55 or above (a fact that his campaign and surrogates now purposefully elide):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBT5wnDK7L0[/youtube]

In this thoughtful exchange with Ryan himself, the president calls the GOP plan “entirely legitimate.”  He also asks, “at what point can we have a serious conversation?”  Contrast that Obama with today’s Obama:

The Obama campaign released a new ad this morning warning voters that Romney and Ryan would “end Medicare as we know it.” The ad features Paul Krugman warning that Paul Ryan’s “voucher” plan would mean that “tens of millions of older Americans would not be able to afford essential care.” Obama traveling Press Secretary Jen Psaki, explained to voters this morning that Obama planned to feature Medicare attack points in a speech later today. “[H]e will lay out the choice between his plan and  the Romney-Ryan plan to end Medicare as we know it, leaving new retirees with nothing but a voucher in place of the guaranteed benefits they rely on today,” she said. “This kind of plan forces people with Medicare to pay an extra $6400, all so Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan can give tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires.”

Obama is answering his own ‘seriousness’ question: Not now.

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Obama loves words, doesn’t he?
Remember when he cribbed the “Words, Just Words,” speech from Deval Patrick?
That’s all they are to him, just words.
When we could have had a serious debate about healthcare (before ObamaCare was shoved down our throats by all DEMOCRATS) what was Obama’s refrain?
Not, “I Wish We Could Have a “Serious Conversation” About Medicare’s Insolvency,” that’s for sure!
No, it was more of a, ”the time for debate is over,” refrain.
There was another verse which was quite short, too.
All it said was, “I won.”

Everything he says has an expiration date on it.
That’s if he ever meant it at all.

Teleprompters do not do well in a debate.