Why isn't the Medicare scandal getting more traction?

[KensPen]

It's HUGE to me....
it involves an amazing Dollar figure,
and an effort by the administration to con congress.....

why isn't this story getting more play?

[LittleApple81]

1. Because the manure and stench of so many scandals doesn't permit

foothold for traction.

[RobertSeattle]

2. It should, but it won't

3 little words:

Fritz, Hassert, and Delay.

[displacedtexan]

3. Sex and torture trump old people suffering.

There are soooooooo many scandals that only sex and torture can command the country's bottom of the bell curve attention.

[Toucano]

4. It's a winning issue for us.

We can't afford to let it go.

It's an obscene example of corporate welfare taken to the Nth degree. That's the bill as signed into law. Compound that with the UNPRECEDENTED holding of the vote open for over 2 hours, strong arming and bribes of House members, and the threats to the actuary to conceal the true cost of the legislation.

Every Democratic candidate for the House who faces an incumbent Repub has to campaign on the approval of this.

The nation may be distracted with the S&M story, but at the end of the day, more people will vote based on an issue that directly affects their pocket book.

It's not an issue just for seniors. Working people are paying for this!

[Bandit]

5. It will come back into play ~ A Congressional committee just completed

a report and said the Administration was wrong and possibly broke the law. That means a follow up investigation to see whether any indictments will be issued. It ain't going away, it is just getting some solid footing to become an issue.

[Butterflies]

6. I've been thinking the same thing

and I know that bush signed the law, but can it now be undone or cancelled or whatever because of all of the fraud? Can it be forced to be voted on again with all of the facts this time?

[lectrobyte]

7. Because "if it bleeds, it leads". Wait a sec...

Praise Bob, I think I have the answer. Much as Bill Clinton's penis occupied our media consciousness in the 90's, tortured Iraqi genitals will do so in the 00's. Need a catchy rhyme for this phenomena though.

[KensPen]

9. I don't WANT the torture to be an issue

as an American I am actually shamed by their actions,
I hope that the problem was not widespread.

There seems to be a cover up involved,
there seems to be a concerted effort by the administration NOT to know what was going on,

ok, let's exploit that.

but I don't want to see a feeding frenzy on our military for political gain. It's TOO polarizing an issue.

Which is why I like the Medicare problem, it's hard to defend.
There is no Patriotic reflex action that will make it defendable.

[lectrobyte]

11. > the Medicare problem, it's hard to defend.

Exactly -- I'd say impossible to defend. I have trouble figuring out why AARP etc. aren't all over this one, especially since the older folks have higher percentages voting. I'd also like to hear much much more about economic plans, how to reduce deficit, jobs, approaches on the outsourcing issue etc.

[revcarol]

15. AARP was FOR the bill.

That's why so many dropped their memberships. Now they say, "Just gotta improve" that piece of caca.

[Toucano]

18. IT's NOT JUST AN ISSUE FOR SENIORS.

Please excuse me for shouting, but we have to frame the issue for wage earners, who actually suffer enormously.

SOME seniors may receive a benefit from the legislation right away. The donut hole won't have kicked in for many, yet they may see their cost on a drug reduced by 15%. They might conclude that it's good at first (if they can work through the confusion, which is unlikely). That's the way it was designed. The true cost won't be felt until 2006.

The wage earners, however, have been totally screwed. They hand over $535 billion to the medical industry with no right to bargain for the best bulk prices, no right for recipients to choose their own doctor, and no guarantee that their employer won't cancel their private coverage when they retire. We surrender totally to the big pharma and the HMO's.

PLUS, there's no means test. People who contributed based on the first $80,000 of WAGES get the same benefit, regardless of their true INCOME, ASSETS, or NET WORTH.

No individual would have entered into a contract with a businnes under these terms. But on our behalf, the the Feds signed the deal.

Wage earners...........SCREWED.
Seniors................SCREWED.
Medical Industry.......JACKPOT!

We have to add one more...

Criminals who hid true cost.....JAILED!

[Toucano]

17. You are right on.

"It's TOO polarizing an issue."

And it's a losing issue. Democrats cannot attack the military and hope to win the election. The electorate will naturally "circle the wagons" to protect

I'm not suggesting it not be pursued in Congress. I think it's value on the campaign trail is to exploit Bush's "disconnect" and total lack of awareness of what's going on. Plus the UNPRECEDENTED use of "contractors" in this battle, at great expense to the nation (monetary expense, troop expense, and image expense).

Medicare is the way to go for races for congress.

[KensPen]

19. That's What I think

I mean you have the President Scamming Congress for christ's sake,

it does tie in to the prisoner abuse issue,
and the diversion of funds from Afghanistan to Iraq,

You have a president who has a veil of secrecy so thick even Republicans like Lott are starting to complain.

I think it's a winning issue.

you have a president abusing power,
and a congress who is letting him.

I say charge!

[sadiesworld]

20. I couldn't agree more.

Like the (I hope) majority of Americans I am horrified by these photos and expect a full investigation. Having said that, I am wary of Viet Nam redux particularly with a candidate who (rightly) decried the abuses committed during that war. It seems that if the hard left goes too far on this issue, e.g., painting all US soldiers with the same broad brush, we risk a backlash from moderate and swing voters. In fact, I believe Karl Rove prefers this particular "debate" to discussing the Medicare debacle, * asleep at the wheel pre-9/11, or the outting of Valerie Plame.

[SoCalDem]

8. Because we have a GLUT of really ugly news..and with PICTURES

....and of course there is American Idol,Friends,Paris Hilton,Swan,Survivor,Kobe,Martha,Laci Peterson,brush fires,and assorted nonsense..

Network news is only 1/2 hour a day, and the cable "s-news" shows are only interested in trashing Kerry and showing us those pictures 24/7, so that leaves little time for things that might actually require some thinking..

[jackstraw45]

10. republican controlled Congress and election year

and a democratic minority at about 85% spine-free.....

[Killarney]

12. Friends, Paris Hilton, Whacko Jacko

that's what most of America cares about, unfortunately.

[watercolors]

13. which scandal do we start with?

It is unreal all that is going on, It boggles the mind! The press can't keep up, and very few of them are even objective enough to talk about them. The faucet is on and running, no more drip, drips!

[Cerval]

14. I wonder how many people...

...right here in America will die because they can't afford the prescription drugs that they need.

Will this become a big deal when it starts killing off Senior Citizens?

[revcarol]

16. It's only money...

money of ordinary working Americans...

Not like it was the money of the top 1% or life and death...<sarcasm>

[Toucano]

21. Kick

[PurityOfEssence]

22. Well, Bob, if you fuck up on enough things, you can skate on most.

It's the Sub-mediocre way.

These guys have destroyed so much of what's good in this world, while aggressively stirring up the pot, that it literally sucks the oxygen from news coverage. After Kobe's scandal and Michael's weird-o-rama, there's hardly much time left over for Scott Peterson and that pesky little WAR.