The Health Care debate has assured one thing

[Tony_FLADEM]

Medicare is now on auto pilot in terms of funding.

After accusing the Democrats of wanting to kill old people, the Republicans won't even be able to think about cutting Medicare funding, if they get back in power.

[stray cat]

1. that may be a good side effect

[phantom power]

2. You don't understand how this game works...

Republicans are not bound by any laws of consistent behavior. They'll mount a campaign that says "govt can't do anything right, we need to privatize Medicare."

Remember, they made a credible play at privatizing social security a couple years ago. That was supposed to be the legendary "third rail." Well, they grabbed on with both hands, and nearly succeeded.

If you think they can't, or won't, go after Medicare, think again.

[Warpy]

3. They didn't come close to succeeding

and the attempt is one thing that cost them the majority in Congress in 2006.

Remember Stupid's Potemkin town hall meetings in 2005? They were restricted to the ultra right and most were the religious far right. Those people all waved their arms in the air like they were trying to receive Stupid's grace, the truest of the true believers in the country.

Even they didn't fall for the privatization speeches.

If the GOP couldn't sell that audience, they had no hope of selling the rest of the country, and they knew it.

[phantom power]

4. Does my memory deceive me?

It does, you know. My memory. It deceives me.

I still stand by two points: First: the GOP were willing to take a stab at it, and they will cheerfully make a stab at killing Medicare, if they feel like it. Considerations of logical consistency or concern for the public welfare will under no circumstances apply.

Second: the voting public will not, in general, apply thought processes like "Well, we previously were concerned about death panels for old people, and so we must logically support the continuation of Medicare -- it's only logical."

Public discourse just doesn't operate on principles of consistency. Certainly not in this country, anyway.

[Warpy]

5. You're right on both counts

but you're forgetting the most reliable voting bloc is old folks, even more reliable than religious crazy people who might be too tired after working all day to go to the polls.

I don't think there's any way either party will risk pissing those voters off.