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Bush was the lesser of two evils, but certainly not an optimal choice to stand up to government growth. I understand, on the other hand, how hard it is to not want to help seniors pay for expensive drugs. Yes, I know they are expensive in part because of government, but that doesn’t change the fact that they indeed are expensive. This is the problem with all ‘meddling’ of government. The government often creates problems that hurt people. Then they try to fix that by hurting other people.

Yes it is.

Didn’t like that one either, but if he hadn’t through out the bribe to the old farts, we would have had President Gore.

Think about it - where was that election decided?

The problem with running against Democrats is that there is literally no limit to what they can promise with taxpayer’s dollars and there are plenty of greedy people willing to vote for “free stuff.”

the Medicare prescription drug bill cost was sold by the GW Bush Admin at around $350 Billion and almost immediately after it passed it jumped to $580 Billion, and $750 Billion a few months later.

Really?

Four years into full operation, President George W. Bush’s Medicare prescription drug program is coming in well below its projected cost, giving hope to backers of the new health insurance law that it, too, could beat budget expectations.

The numbers are stark and conclusive: In 2009, the government spent $60.8 billion on the drug benefit, or far less than the annual $111.2 billion cost projected just five years ago, after the program was enacted.

Wash Times says

President bush signed the Medicare Act of 2003 on December 8, 2003, bringing prescription drug coverage to America’s seniors during his first term in office.

Benefits did not begin until 2006

In 2005 the estimated cost to taxpayers was $926 billion.
By 2006 it had dropped to $797 billion.
In 2008 the cost had dropped 12% to $44 billion at the end of the fiscal year.

2-9-05 — Medicare drug benefit to cost $720 billion over 10 years
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-02-09-medicare-drugs_x.htm

5-06 — Medicare drug benefit viewed as a work in progress
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-15426944_ITM
The cost of the drug benefit has declined from a projected $737 billion over 10 years to $675 billion. Projected cost for 2006 will be $30.5 billion, 20% less than the $38.1 billion originally estimated.

5-8-06 — Online discussion of the drug benefit
Scroll down to Dunn Loring, VA
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/05/08/DI2006050801215.html

11-08 — Medicare Drug Plan Spending Drops $6B in 2008
http://www.agingcare.com/News/133484/Medicare-Drug-Plan-Spending-Drops-6B-in-2008.htm
…spending dropped by 12% to $44 B in fiscal year ending 9-30-08

Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing how much we would have been forced to pay for amputations due to lack of insulin or open heart surgeries because patients could not afford the heart medications accompanied by long hospital stays. I guarantee you it would have been far more than the prescription drug benefit is costing.

Few on FR want to remember that the Medicare prescription drug bill cost was sold by the GW Bush Admin at around $350 Billion and almost immediately after it passed it jumped to $580 Billion, and $750 Billion a few months later. Memory can be very selective.

I think you'll find few defenders of Bush left here. The man grew government, opened the door to TARP, called Islam a religion of peace, imported nearly a million new Muslim immgrants during his two terms, and funded both Planned Parenthood and the NEA at the highest levels in American history.

Whatever he was, he was not a conservative.