But personalizing the issue does not address the substance of Frist's points: the prevention aspects, the privatization aspects, and the competition aspects of this program all can contribute to a long-term decline in government expenditures for elderly health care costs. Not unlike investment or "priming" the pump...and I'm not talking about "investment" like Bill Clinton talked about it--I'm talking about letting Medicare "whither on the vine" (thanks, Newt) as people choose to leave it because there are better alternatives. Or, if the prescription drug program keeps the elderly from being sick in the first place then think how much less will be spent to "fix" a disease in an elderly person.
Imagine if the President and Frist went forward with a "less dismantle Medicare NOW!" plan and rhetoric. Gimme a break; it'd never pass, and the politics would destroy them. Indeed, this is a much better way of re-introducing free market elements into what Hitlery would've reduced to a totally government-controlled system.
At least that is how I see it.