Democrats launch early offensive over GOP Medicare plans

{mosads}House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have released at least five statements about Medicare since Saturday — including one that cites former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s criticism of the Ryan plan as “right-wing social engineering.”

Party leaders also emphasized the issue at the Democratic retreat last week.

Ryan said on Fox News this weekend that “we’re not backing off any of our ideas, any of our solutions,” and said specifically in other interviews that this year’s budget will again include Medicare proposals similar to those he championed last year.

“I would simply say, there’s an emerging bipartisan consensus that we’re on the right track,” Ryan said on Fox. “And the point is, we should be offering solutions to our problems in our country. We shouldn’t just be demagoguing other people and offering no solution. And, unfortunately, that’s what the president and his party leaders are doing.”