Protesters in Chi greet WI GOP rep who wants to end Medicare

Thanks to Think Progress for the photo.

Paul Ryan isn't just your garden-variety extremist Wisconsin Republican. He's the Eddie Munster lookalike  chairman of the House Budget Committee, and he wants to do away with Medicare. Only he calls it "privatizing." (We know what that means by now.)

Ryan paid a visit to Chicago today, where he was greeted by protesters. He probably wasn't surprised. Ryan is aware enough to understand that extremist Republican attacks on workers have driven a wave of populist anger across the country. He recently told ABC's This Week,

The crowds are really getting bigger, and people are getting much more anxious about, just, where the country’s headed.

The Associated Press reported on today's protests:

...protestors showed up today at a downtown Chicago hotel where House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan spoke. The Janesville Republican was there to explain his controversial Medicare plans to the Economic Club of Chicago. One of the protestors, Doug Adams of Chicago, said people need to wake up because Republicans, Wall Street, and big business believe that older Americans are an expensive strain. The protest signs read “Hands off my Medicare,” and “Paul Ryan’s plan – Let them eat cat food.”