[Southack]

"All that does nothing to diminish the trainwreck that is this bill."

And how would *you* have convinced 40+ Democratic Senators to support *your* plan to Privatize Medicare, and how would that have differed from President Bush's successful strategy in this law?

[NittanyLion]

Talk about a loaded question...

[onedoug]

One positive element in this is how the Republicans pulled the rug from under the so-called Democrats on one of their pet issues. The lefties seemed cold-cocked by this, and that is very satisfying.

People are best weened from socialism. Thus it's difficult to see how a more overtly market based plan might have been acheived in such a partisan environment as is currently the case in this country.

I'm encouraged by tax exempt medical savings accounts, and hopeful that people will take more readily to more market oriented health care alternatives.

It ain't perfect, but it's a damn-site more preferable to Hillary care.

[Kevin Curry]

And how would *you* have convinced 40+ Democratic Senators to support *your* plan to Privatize Medicare, and how would that have differed from President Bush's successful strategy in this law?

You're asking how he would have orchestrated a fiscal trainwreck any better than Bush did? Are we now giving points for how pretty (or how relatively less ugly) a disaster is brought about?