General Discussion

They took the word "entitlement" and used it against itself.

From Dictionary.com:
entitlement
[ en-tahy-tl-muhnt ]
noun
1. the act of giving, or the state of having, a title, right, or claim to something:
She supported legislation to improve the lot of the elderly, including the entitlement of senior citizens to vote by absentee ballot.

2. a provision, amount, etc., to which one is entitled; a right:
A good education is the moral entitlement of every child.
Temporary teachers receive most of the entitlements of permanent teachers, including annual salary, on a prorated basis.

3. a government program, such as Social Security or unemployment insurance, that provides a benefit to eligible participants, or the benefit provided by such a program:
Eligibility for this insurance program will be affected if there is also a Medicare entitlement.

4. the unjustified assumption that one has a right to certain advantages, preferential treatment, etc.:
"Their sense of entitlement—I don't want to call it arrogance—makes dealing with some people difficult,'' said the senator.

All of the definitions above are correct. Republicans knew the fourth of those listed had a negative connotation and were more than happy to build an automatic association with that specific meaning into the public consciousness. Dishonest, but effective.