The AP reports:
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., attacked the legislation as a “monstrosity” that employs “Bernie Madoff accounting, Enron accounting” as he offered the first GOP amendment. McCain’s amendment would strip out more than $400 billion in Medicare cuts to home health providers, hospitals, hospices and others – a pitch to seniors, who polls show have deep concerns about the legislation.
Yes, the accounting is dishonest. So let’s make sure the planned cuts in benefits don’t happen. And let’s buy off the seniors. Keep them quiet.
Democrats planned to go on the offense on the same issue Tuesday with an amendment underscoring benefits to seniors and guaranteeing that basic Medicare benefits would not be touched.
And the Democrats join in with their bid to make sure that nothing ever ever goes down, only up.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., made a bid for support from women Monday with an amendment to reduce copays and deductibles for preventive services such as mammograms.
Great strategy. Get the women behind it. And add yet another provision that increases the demand for health care and drives up its price.
Alluding to outrage earlier this month after a government-appointed panel said that women generally should begin routine mammograms in their 50s rather than their 40s, Mikulski said that under her amendment, “if your doctor says you need one, you’re going to get one.”
That’s right. No sacrifice. Ever. That is the specialty of the politician. Sell that free lunch. And this is to assuage any fears that the government would ever suggest a particular course of treatment once the government is paying for everything. Don’t worry about that. That only happens in other countries.
Votes on amendments are expected to begin Tuesday. “We have an historic need and we have an historic opportunity. We have an opportunity to enact groundbreaking reform that will finally rein in the cost of health care,” said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.
They are going to rein in the cost of health care by expanding the demand for health care. When they’re done with that achievement, they can create food without calories, the fuel-free car, and the honest politician.
