Discussing the Medicare bill
... Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fla., said it was vital to pass the bill. "I would have stayed here for three more days with the clock open, I felt it was so urgent. '' Shaw said.
You can read the whole article
here, but let's analyze this argument.
It was urgent that the house pass a bill that won't take effect until 2006. It was not urgent 3 years ago when George Bush took office. It was urgent that this bill be passed before the re-election campaign, but it was not urgent that it go into effect, in fact that was delayed until long after the election. What reason could possibly explain that urgency?
It's another classic example of Republican bait and switch tactics. This is the same type of sales tactics that people see all the time from car and real-estate salesmen. "Sir, I'm just in from Chicago tonight, but I have this fabulous Medicare legislation that I'm only allowed to offer you tonight and then it's totally out of my hands. In fact, it's so good that I really am going overboard to even offer it to you."
There is more than enough time for this bill to be simply repealed after the 2004 election, and I'd be willing to bet that that was another reason that some Republicans who are philosophically diametrically opposed to it were convinced to vote for it.
Seniors and the disabled (and anyone who will become one in the next few years) need to understand that they are being played here. The bill as it stands is in no way a good one, but there is absolutely nothing that guarantees that it, or any Medicare drug benefit will ever be enacted. For sure the "Medicare reform" section will stay law. For sure the drug companies will get more of their drugs sold to seniors. But I can easily imagine public outcry forcing the congressional leadership to "fix" the drug benefit by cutting it out and replacing it with expanded Medigap coverage from private insurers and saying "sorry about that."
The tactics that led to its passage could, and probably will lead to a dramatic change in its character once the party in power solidifies their hold on the instruments of governance. That's why it is so critical that they be defeated now.