Oh, so now they tell us

Just breezing through the WaPo, I stumbled over this story entitled “Success of Drug Plan Challenges Democrats“. Of course, I thought of several snarky comments that I could make over just the title alone.

Turns out, the story is about the Bush Medicare Drug Plan and how successful it’s been.  I read the story, then I nearly choked on these lines;

The cost of the program has been lower than expected, about $26 billion in 2006, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The cost was projected to rise to $45 billion next year, but Medicare has received new bids indicating that its average per-person subsidy could drop by 15 percent in 2007, to $79.90 a month.

Urban Institute President Robert D. Reischauer, a former director of the Congressional Budget Office, called that a remarkable record for a new federal program.

Initially, he said, people were worried no private plans would participate. “Then too many plans came forward,” Reischauer said. “Then people said it’s going to cost a fortune. And the price came in lower than anybody thought. Then people like me said they’re low-balling the prices the first year and they’ll jack up the rates down the line. And, lo and behold, the prices fell again. And the reaction was, ‘We’ve got to have the government negotiate lower prices.’ At some point you have to ask: What are we looking for here?”

So, of course, instead of telling us this a month ago while Democrats were using it as part of their scare program on seniors, they tell us now that the Republican plan was working successfully – under budget to both the government and the participants (i.e.; seniors).

And of course, the WaPo blames Republicans for not selling the plan well enough. To whom? The choir? Seems that not telling the story is the fault of the News Media which is more content crowning Democrat Kings and Queens than telling the people the truth. 

Category: Politics