NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

For Immediate Release: May 23rd, 2011
Contact: Eric Jotkoff, (850) 222-3411

Floridians Deserve To Know: Does Mike Haridopolos Support Paul Ryan’s Plan To End Medicare?

Over the past several weeks, the Paul Ryan Budget to end Medicare has emerged as the latest Tea Party litmus test for Republican candidates, but Mike Haridopolos seems to have missed that message. After advocating for the privatization of Medicare and Social Security, Haridopolos is now sending mixed messages on ending Medicare as Floridians know it.

“Mike Haridopolos needs to come clean with the people of Florida. Does he support the Paul Ryan plan to end Medicare or not?” asked Florida Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff. “While Haridopolos might try and run away from the Ryan Budget, the people of Florida will ensure Haridopolos is held accountable for his longtime support of ending Medicare.”

On Saturday, the conservative Shark Tank blog reported, “During our brief Q & A session, Haridopolos stated that he supported the Paul Ryan budget plan in the U.S. Congress.” Haridopolos defended the Paul Ryan plan saying, “I think he is moving in the right direction. He is actually making the tough decisions.”

But the Tampa Tribune on Sunday reported, “Two of the GOP contenders, Adam Hasner and George LeMieux, have directly backed the Ryan budget proposal, including the Medicare plan… The third leading GOP contender, state Senate President Mike Haridopolos, advocated privatizing Medicare in a 1998 book, but said in an interview last week he wasn’t ready to take a stand on the Ryan plan.”  

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