Hell froze: Rev. Pat and Teddy K agree!

“Some of you may have noticed a strange difference this morning.

During his "News for Sycophants" segment last night, Rev. Pat dissed the Medicare reform bill passed earlier in the day. He's in the same camp as Teddy Kennedy.

Reasons may be different. Rev. Pat is against entitlement programs. But they both dislike the bill.

I wonder whether Phaedrus and Stratdewd will agree ...”

“This entitlement stinks to high phucking heaven. Yes, all the dog food eating elders that politicians seem to think are the majority will have their prescriptions paid for but so will people like Bill Gates, Rush Lindbergh (SWEET! Free Oxy!), the Rockefellers, Steven Spielberg, ect. It’s too sweeping and too big. Otis the Town Drunk (AKA Ted K.) says the $400 billion is a good down payment! WTF? Why can’t the government be a bit more fiscally responsible and SUBSADIZE? Because that would not accomplish the political motives of shoring up votes. They had to try and serve as many different groups as possible. We’re going to be paying for these votes for generations!

The republicans have done the same thing the democrats did when they brought out their contract with America…they have stolen an idea from the other party in an attempt for political power. I am phucking ashamed of the republicans and their irresponsibility. And it seems that even the most conservative annalists are too. Sen. Mc Cain was right on with his opinions on this goatphuck.”

“I was trying to make some sense out of the bill last night with my Mom. I want to know if a person, on her limited monthly SS benefits, can benefit from this thing at all. She is up in arms about it, as are a lot of seniors. I am still not sure about iit,because the accounts I have read thus far didn't do a good job explaining it. The way i unersatnd it, she is going to have to shell out several hundred bucks initially before any preescription benefits come her way. The cost of these scrips are astronomical to begin with. She probably spends about 2000 to 2500 dollars a year for meds. I read that you have to spend over 5,000 dollars to get the highest coverage, but there seems to be a gray area where she is concerned. So, I am a little confused as to where this leaves a person like her...”

“Note: There IS an affluence test in the legislation, but it's set at something like 60-70 grand (way below Bill Gates' pay scale).

Unfortunately, the Republicans refuse to negotiate prices with their buddies who run the drug companies, so your tax dollars will fly out the door at an amazing rate. "Waste, fraud and abuse," INDEED.

I wonder if Bill Thomas will be assaulted by a mob of seniors and have to run for his limo like Rostenkowski?”

“"Note: There IS an affluence test in the legislation, but it's set at something like 60-70 grand (way below Bill Gates' pay scale).”

Thanks for the clarification Tilt. I haven’t had a close enough look at the actual bill but as Treebeard pointed out, I probably wouldn’t even know what I’m looking at.

I think the negotiations with drug companies wouldn’t help anyone. I know that on surface it appears that the drug companies are raping the public but it’s just a fact of life. Miracle drugs cost huge amounts of money to develop and get Oked for the public. I can’t see the prices coming down. If the government DID say we’re only going to pay you $50 for this $100 script we all know who’s going to make up the difference…us.”

“Actually, I like the bill a lot!
















Riiiiight.”

“We need reform, not intitlements.”

“So, would I be accurate in saying that this bill wouldn't do squat for my mother's medicine bills?”

“We're gonna need a stool sample to find out for sure, Treebeard.”

“Actually, I like McCain. I think he is a no nonsense practical kind of thinker.”

“I'd vote for him.”

“The insurance companies, the drug companies and the American Medical Asociation all seem to like it. Why does that give me pause? LOL

A reporter on Washington Journal this AM (I tuned in late and didn't catch who she worked for -- Brian Lamb said she had been a health policy reporter for years and years) said that Canada reduced their pharmaceutical outlays some 60% through negotiation. Think how much further your tax dollars could go. She said the US should be able to save even more because we are a larger market and would have more leverage.

Of course, the politicians who receive large chunks of their campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry call it "price fixing"... Just remember that you're paying the difference. How much less would it cost us? Or how much more could we help those in need? (or both?)

I suppose we'll need to invest in the companies who stand to benefit and try to get some of our money back.


A couple more tidbits -- the current head of the AARP (Bill Novelli) is supposedly a political ally of Tom DeLay and working on Bush's re-election. He also caught flak a while back for writing the forward to Newt Gingrich's last book.”

“So, setting lower prices is "price-fixing" and setting high prices are not?”

“So, setting lower prices is "price-fixing" and setting high prices is not?”

“If you were a Repugnantcan Tom, you'd understand, but you're just a Dummycrat.”

“I thought I was a butthead!”

“Good God, another third party!”

“"Every Man A King!"

Nah... they shot the guy who used that line.”

“Good explaination Tilt.”

“That's right Geobeet, the Butthead Party.

Our party symbol will also be an ass!”

“See if you can make any sense out of this, treebeard.”

“As usual, we won't know anything For Sure until it's implemented. If Nowslimmer and his buddies begin to riot, we'll know something went wrong, <GRIN>”

“Dang, almost clicked on that Violin link. Doh!

Tilt, the AARP is already up in arms against it.”

“Some of the AARP members calling in to C-SPAN were breathing fire....”

“I would guess so, from what little I have heard about it.”

“Geo - If you right click and select 'properties' you'll see the link is to the Washington Post.

Now you know why I cut&paste everything.”

“We don't need to guess at what senior citizens think of the bill, we can just ask. Tilt, Violin, will this bill benefit you and other old timers?”

“Ha! The whole shebang will be bankrupt before I get Anywhere Near collecting any of that, LOL


Ooops. I must've misheard somehow --- now someone said there's Not an affluence test associated with the drug coverage. I guess I gotta go check out the bill itself.... Is that damn thing searchable or am I going to have scan all 1000+ pages?

<grrrrrrrrrrr>”

“True Tilt. Anypne who is not preparing for their futer themselves and is counting on ANY government assistance when they retire are just kidding themselves.”