Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four?

No.

Senate votes to keep Medicare cuts in health bill

Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Casting its first votes on revamping the nation's health care system, the Senate rejected a Republican bid Thursday to stave off Medicare cuts and approved safeguards for coverage of mammograms and other preventive tests for women. The first round of votes ended with a fragile Democratic coalition hanging together.

Senators voted 58-42 to reject an amendment by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would have stripped more than $400 billion in Medicare cuts from the nearly $1 trillion measure. It would have sent the entire 2,074-page bill back to the Senate Finance Committee for a redo.

Republicans said the proposed cuts to health insurance plans and medical providers mean seniors in the popular Medicare Advantage program will lose benefits. And they predicted lawmakers will ultimately back away from the cuts, once seniors start feeling the brunt.

"Medicare is already in trouble. The program needs to be fixed, not raided to create another new government program," said Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Remember the good old days when the media went stark raving bonkers because George Bush had proposed cutting $36 billion from Medicare to begin the process of reining in unfunded entitlement spending?

The DNC press release of that era shrieked in horror and its cries were gleefully picked up by the legacy media.

Cuts to Medicare Threaten Indiana Seniors. In addition, the Bush budget cuts Medicare by $36 billion over the next five years, resulting in $530,913,830 in cuts to hospitals, nursing homes, and home health providers serving seniors and people with disabilities in Indiana.

Note how Democrats are b***hing about $530 million.

These crackpots have blown $1.7 trillion in one year! That's:

$      530,913,830.00
               versus
$1,700,000,000,000.00

Don't worry, seniors. Just get in line behind the illegal immigrants, the homeless and the prison inmates -- who will all be served by the same super-efficient, DMV-style, government-run health care system. And it'll be less expensive! And there won't be rationing! Or death panels! And there will be singing, pink unicorns in all of the waiting rooms to entertain the grandkids!

Anyone -- anyone -- who believes that this Democrat clusterf*** will work as planned should be immediately committed. After all, that's why the Democrats in Congress have specifically excluded themselves from the program. Even they know it will be a complete disaster designed to bankrupt the country while killing off their political enemies.

Oh, but all of your personal medical data will be totally safe. What could possibly happen to it, Mr. and Mrs. Salahi? How 'bout you, Mr. and Mrs. Joe the Plumber?


Update: Cat's out of the bag as Dems admit: "No. You can't keep your health insurance!"


Hat tip: Dan from New York.