When Rodney Davis — the Republican running for Congress in Illinois’s 13th congressional district — was asked if he supported Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare and gut the social safety net, he said that while he’d like to tweak certain details, Ryan was “in concept…right on.”

So when Davis debated with his bold progressive Democratic opponent Dr. David Gill last night, he had a hard time convincing the audience that he wanted to protect Medicare and Social Security. “I’m the only candidate on the stage who will preserve and protect Social Security and Medicare,” he thundered. But the audience didn’t buy it — it responded with laughter. Watch it:

Watch it:

Davis’s opponent Gill not only opposes privatizing Medicare — he has pledged to be a blocking vote to the Ryan plan — he wants to strengthen and expand it to all Americans.

Click here to chip in a few dollars to Gill’s campaign and to keep Davis out of Washington.