Page 5 of last Tuesday’s Kenosha News is why so many Kenoshans are fed up with politics. The Kenosha News decided to run a demonstrably false political attack ad from the Democratic Party of Kenosha County — seeking to sling mud at a leading voice for fiscally responsible reform and to distract citizens from the Democrats’ trillion-dollar government takeover of healthcare.

Let’s start with the transparent lies from Kenosha Democrats, consuming a full page of this newspaper. There are factual problems with nearly every paragraph. The laughable headline reads “Paul Ryan Voted to End Medicare.” Paul Ryan is one of the few leaders in Washington who takes seriously our fiscal challenges. He has proposed specific solutions protecting Medicare for current beneficiaries and those nearing retirement, while making certain that this critical program will be there for future generations. Ryan’s proposal had no bearing on the existence of Medicare, instead calling for reforms to preserve and strengthen Medicare for future generations.

The same language was used in blast telemarketing phone calls placed by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and television ads run by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The DNC attack ad was thoroughly debunked by FactCheck.org, an independent and nonpartisan media watchdog group, which stated that this attack “falsely accuses Republicans of voting ‘to abolish Medicare’“ (Brooks Jackson, “Senior Scare, Yet Again,” FactCheck.org, 9/8/09 - http://factcheck.org/2009/09/senior-scare-yet-again). When this propaganda was challenged for accuracy, Time Warner quickly removed the ads in Wisconsin, stating publicly that the DNC could not substantiate its claims. It’s too bad Kenosha residents were fed these recycled lies.

More troubling than what was included in this political propaganda is what Kenosha Democrats left out. While attacking Ryan’s sensible reforms, Democrats neglect to mention that Washington’s healthcare overhaul would impose severe Medicare cuts on seniors — including $156.3 billion in benefit cuts for those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans (Source: CBO — http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/104xx/doc10464/hr3200.pdf). While Democrats in Kenosha level false attacks on Ryan, Democrats in Washington are working to slash benefits for over 200,000 Wisconsinites enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.

I can see why Democrats fear the merits of Ryan’s concerns and proposals, preferring to take cheap shots at one of our hardest-working, most well-respected leaders. The page of attacks highlighted campaign contributions, neglecting the fact that nearly the entire Wisconsin delegation, including representatives from both parties, has received thousands of dollars from the same insurance companies.

It’s no secret that Paul Ryan has emerged as a leading voice for fiscal sanity, and it makes sense that Democrats in Wisconsin are worried. Speaking for thousands across Southern Wisconsin, Ryan strongly opposes the proposed government takeover of healthcare, with hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicare cuts; dramatic increases in monthly premiums; new mandates and burdens on States, employers, and workers; and trillions of dollars in new spending, new taxes, new debt. Paul Ryan not only leads the fight against Washington’s most egregious missteps but continues to stand up for Kenosha County with principled, common-sense alternatives.

The Kenosha Democrats’ latest attack reminds us why elected officials avoid tackling our greatest challenges — including our unsustainable fiscal crisis — and why there is growing cynicism with politics. Kenosha County is fortunate to be served by Paul Ryan - a responsible leader who won’t be intimidated or deterred by Democrat demagoguery. It’s disappointing that the Kenosha News published a page of propaganda, but thankfully its readers are smarter than local Democrats hope.