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Lott casts key vote to save Medicare bill he opposes
Associated Press ^ | 11-24-03 | MARK SHERMAN

Posted on 11/24/2003 5:06:03 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

Edited on 04/13/2004 2:44:59 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

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To: Brad Cloven
Thanks for the info. Sounds like they're right up my alley, particularly if their concentration is on fiscal conservatism.
81 posted on 11/25/2003 6:37:58 AM PST by NittanyLion (Character Counts)
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To: dcam
-Adding to Medicare's Unfunded Liabilities. Medicare is already projected to go bankrupt. Nonetheless, this bill will unconscionably add hundreds of billions of dollars in unfunded liabilities to the program.

- Deficits. This bill will add at least $400 billion to the already record budget deficits projected in the near term. If past history is any guide, we can expect the actual cost to be much higher.

-Millions of Retirees Will Lose Good Coverage. Despite provisions that attempt to prevent companies from dropping coverage for their retirees, we believe this bill will lead to millions of retirees losing benefits currently being provided by their former employers.

- A Retreat on the Promise of Reform. Real reforms have largely given way to "fig leaves" such as demonstration projects (which Congress has a remarkable tendency of ignoring or undermining anyway).

82 posted on 11/25/2003 8:53:44 AM PST by 45Auto (Big holes are (almost) always better.)
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To: rmmcdaniell
The question is not "Is medicare/Social Security going to go bankrupt?" but "When is Medicare/Social Security going to go bankrupt?"
83 posted on 11/25/2003 8:57:13 AM PST by 45Auto (Big holes are (almost) always better.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Can anyone explain why this required a 60 votes? a 3/5ths majority? What twist of Robert's Rules of Order is this?
84 posted on 11/25/2003 11:23:55 AM PST by MAEsser
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To: michaelt; Wild Irish Rogue; Southack; sultan88; putupon; what's up; Pukin Dog
Southack wrote an accurate, succinct description of this bill on this thread. I asked if I could borrow it, and he didn't say no, so here it is:
To: Sci Fi Guy

"I realize that Bush is keeping a campaign promise he made in the last election. But #$%@, does he have to propose a bill that is going to costs us trillions of dollars??"

Wild-eyed exagerations like "trillions of dollars" prevent honest debate.

What the bill does, is fund preventative care such as checkups and prescription drugs. Right now, seniors only get things such as reactive care paid for (i.e. surgery). So their incentive is to wait until a problem requires surgery (a very costly option for us taxpayers) rather than go get a checkup and take preventative medicine.

For this change, we taxpayers are on the hook for $39.5 Billion per year (not trillions, not even close). That's about $10 per month, per American. Some experts even claim that such preventative care will *save* taxpayers money overall in the long by reducing the quantity of expensive surgery being performed today at taxpayer expense.

And here's the kicker: this bill begins to *privatize* all of Medicare in ten years. There is private competition built all into this bill. Why do you think that the Dems are going so freaking nuts over this thing passing?! It's because they know that they aren't going to ever have the votes to stop this privatization process.

So either the Dems fight this bill and get portrayed as mean, ruthless politicians who would deny preventative care to Seniors in order to deny Republicans "credit" for this bill, or else they see this monster get passed and watch helplessly as their precious Medicare gets Privatized.

Social Security is next.

No doubt the same 3rd party whiners will come around criticizing our efforts to privatize it, too.

Lenin didn't call 'em useful idiots for nothing, after all!

27 posted on 11/22/2003 7:47 AM CST by Southack (Media bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)


85 posted on 11/25/2003 11:23:57 AM PST by reformed_democrat
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To: reformed_democrat; Landru; Mudboy Slim; FBD
Some interesting information on this thread!
86 posted on 11/25/2003 1:32:53 PM PST by sultan88 ("Five year plans and new deals, wrapped in golden chains...")
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To: sultan88
I've been hangin' out over in the thread linked to in post #85 and the debate continues hot & heavy...MUD
87 posted on 11/25/2003 1:47:15 PM PST by Mudboy Slim (RE-IMPEACH Osama bil Clinton!!)
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To: lodwick; sultan88
"Jackasses all."

Yup.

"What a joke on those of us who pay taxes. "

Yup.

"Bend over, America, once more. (And No, there's no vaseline for ya.)"

Yup.

"Grin, and bear it."

Yes!!

A Grand Slam.

...very rare.

88 posted on 11/25/2003 1:51:09 PM PST by Landru (The "original" fool, recommended by tpaine. Except no substitute!)
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To: Pukin Dog
Then, Medicaid will WITHER ON THE VINE.

That will happen approximately the same time that pigs fly out of my rear end.

Anyway, now I understand your position. You just don't see the advance of socialism.

FReegards

89 posted on 11/30/2003 7:56:10 AM PST by Republic If You Can Keep It
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