Ha! The pugs have magically added the annual medicare fix to the CBO numbers

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Watching one of the high-ranking republican assholes on TV (Keeping track of them is becoming kinda like naming the rats in the alley behind your building... why? They're all the same.)

He announces that the senate bill will increase the deficit. Talking head points out that the CBO says the opposite.

Pressed on the point, he admits that he is including the annual medicare-rates paid to doctors adjustment (which has not passed) in the bill, except it isn't in the bill... but it should be because it's about healthcare... yeah, that's the ticket!

Well geez... if you want to really (falsely) inflate the deficit effect of the bill by adding other federal healthcare costs at whim why not add in all medics, medical supplies, medical facilities, medical transportation, VA hospital care and disability benefits from Iraq and Afghanistan into the bill?

[OHdem10]

1. You make some good points but the Senate should not have left

the Doctor Fix out of the bill. They left themselves open
to ridicule on this point. They had to do this to keep
the numbers where they wanted them. They know they will
fix the Doctor Reimbursement which is money spent.

It falls into the same category of Americans having to
pay taxes for 2 oor 3 years before receiving benefits.

[DrToast]

3. There's no reason it had to be part of this bill

It's not like they're creating an entirely new problem and refusing to fund it.

The bill covers any new spending it causes.

[NJmaverick]

2. Dishonesty from a Republican?!?! What's the world coming to?

[flpoljunkie]

4. Sanctimonious Coburn? Is he being investigated by Senate Ethics Comm. for his role to broker deal

for his pal Enzi's mistress? If not, he ought to be.

How rich it is to see Republican's whining about Medicare cuts when the AARP, not only approves of the Senate bill, but is scoring the cloture vote for the bill as a key vote for its members.