Why do politicians believe that if they tell a lie often enough, the electorate will think it is the truth? Are the American people so gullible? Really? Or are they smart enough to tell who the liars are, and remember them in the voting booth?

The gutting of Medicare took place years ago when Congress took a percentage of our Medicare premiums and gave it to insurance companies to set up those Medicare Advantage plans — you know, the ones so complicated with details and so confusing, you just pick one because someone is telling you that they are so much better than regular Medicare.

Does anyone ever remember someone telling us that our premium money was going to keep those insurance companies in business, to subsidize the insurance industry and their CEO salaries of tens of millions of dollars? I don't recall that.

Now, "Obamacare" is stopping this giveaway subsidy. Good for President Barack Obama for saving Medicare money. Bad for Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney for telling an untruth and calling it a gutting. I'll remember that at the voting booth.

Gloria Elston

Salt Lake City