Sunshine State Foggy on Medicare Reform

The Los Angeles Times ^ | 07 December 2003 | John-Thor Dahlburg

[MegaSilver]

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. — In no state do seniors make up a more generous slice of the population than Florida, that balmy retirement destination under the palms. So nowhere should the recent reform of Medicare have deeper, more durable consequences on how people vote.

Once, that is, that Florida's nearly 2.8 million residents age 65 and older figure out exactly what has changed, and how it affects them. "People are bewildered by it; they don't know what's happening to their health plan," said Nana Klein, 85, a retired New York state civil servant who keeps track of senior-related legislation for the AARP chapter in this suburb of Fort Lauderdale.

[MegaSilver]

If we don't get with it, the RINOs will capitalize on this and the GOP will be hijacked by Rockefeller types.

[caltrop]

Too late. Rockefeller Republicanism = Compassionate Conservatism.

[MegaSilver]

Too late. Rockefeller Republicanism = Compassionate Conservatism.

You're right.

Maybe we'll get lucky. Maybe in 2008, we'll have a Barry Morris Goldwater type to finally set things straight.

[gcruse]

On behalf of my fellow Floridated retirees living in our palmy, gated communities, I want to thank all you small-government, fiscally conservative, deficit-averse supporters of the current administration for standing by the President in keeping the Democratic agenda at bay.

Y'all come, ya heah?