This will be a short diary. It doesn't need much.
Medicare cuts do not need to be on the table. We need to enhance medicare. That's different than wanting to cut benefits to preserve the Bush Taxcuts and finance war. I advocate a two step approach.
1. We need a Norquest on Medicare. Who can that be? But we need someone to make Congressman take the pledge not to vote to for Medicare or Social Security benefits in any fashion. We need our 60 congressman and 20 senators to hold the congress hostage just as the other side. Question - who can be our Norquest?
2. In the debt ceiling plan being negotiated, we need to cut the cost of Medicare by allowing government to competively bid and negotiate with drug companies. Why should Americans pay the highest drug prices in the World. In the interim, we should allow free trade - at least with Canada.
There may be other cost saving as well. But allowing negotiations is the most obvious thing we can do to cut a major cost from the taxpayers and streghenthen medicare. I have watch CSPAN for days and no one is making that very obvious reduction of debt argument.
3. We need a phone campaign to tell congress to make the cut medicare cost as part of the negotiation. We need it quick. We need to put the other side on the defensive. I want Democrats standing up in debate with charts showing the savings in Medicare and also comparing American cost to cost in other countries.
Can we make this happen? Is there a prayer?
Mrick