I posted this in a comment, but I think that my perspective is somewhat unique, so I thought that I would post it as my second diary ever (I should note, obviously, that i do not mean for my opinions to represent anyone else at my institution):
Future Senator Hackett,
I read with much interest your reply to President Bush's State Of The Union Address. I appreciate the vigor with which you defended Ohioans and all Americans and their rights, particularly with respect to health care policy.
Born in Iowa, I am currently a 2nd year medical student at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. My colleagues, and many of our professors, have nearly universally found Medicare Part D to be a costly disaster, both for our elderly patients and the doctors who endeavor to treat and cure their diseases. Many patients who had previously had their prescriptions covered by pharmaceutical company assistance programs, and others, have found that they no longer have funding for the drugs needed to prolong their lives.
The effects have also been personal. My 103-year old great-grandmother, who until this thanksgiving had never in her life spent a night in a hospital, and who remains extremely sharp, nevertheless was perplexed and dumbfounded when a trained hospital official tried to assist her in choosing which of the hundreds of private programs she should choose to cover her under Part D. I suspect that her confusion was intentionally created by the legislation which prohibited the nation's largest group of citizens from bargaining for discounts for their drugs, in order to appease the companies which provide money that fuels the Republican majority.
On Election Eve, 2004, I was proud to stand directly behind John Kerry in downtown Cleveland, as a member of Ohio Doctors for Kerry. I felt tremendous hope for our country that night, and I was profoundly disappointed by the outcome of the next day. I hope that gentlemen such as yourself will restore my confidence and bring our country back to being one that assists the well-being and health of every American.
I regret that, as a student, I cannot contribute financially to your campaign, but I will do everything in my power to convince my colleagues and friends that we need people such as yourself, true Patriots, in Washington.