Bush is criticized on Medicare effort

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/09/26/bush_is_criticized_on_medicare_effort/

President Bush says he wants Congress to deliver prescription drug coverage for older Americans. And a national energy policy. And limits on medical malpractice awards.

Yet as the 2003 congressional session enters its final stages, he has all but sidelined himself, offering words of encouragement but leaving lawmakers to their own devices.

Yesterday, for example, he invited congressional negotiators to the White House and exhorted them to get a Medicare prescription drug bill to his desk by November. But he twisted no arms, nor did he wade into the measure's contentious issues.

With no discernible progress on the stalled legislation, many lawmakers emerged from the meeting to warn that prescription-drug coverage for seniors was doomed without more vigorous presidential involvement.

[revcarol]

1. It was doomed because too many people

saw that it was worthless.

But he "tried," so those big pharma bucks will keep rolling into Republican coffers.

[jamesinca]

2. But Bush spoke, people are supposed to jump very high

Maybe he is losing his Midas touch, maybe his federal GOP memebers are becoming a little less happy with his policies, maybe he has already received his payoff from the drug campanies and does not need them anymore. Maybe he is tired of being slapped around for his stupid ill conceived policies and just decided to sit this one out. It is one thing to be wrong, it is another to make an ass out of yourself proving you were wrong. Maybe it has taken a world stage and 2 1/2 years for George to realize this.