3/2/07

Wingnuts Weep
By: Mark W Adams


From Drudge (YES, DRUDGE)
U.S. COMPTROLLER: PRESCRIPTION DRUG BILL 'MAY BE THE MOST FINANCIALLY IRRESPONSIBLE LAW IN 40 YEARS'; Bill Will Add $8 Trillion to Long-Term Medicare Obligations
Thu Mar 1 2007 13:41:11 ET

That Could Already Bankrupt the U.S.

The U.S. government's top accountant says the law that added a prescription drug benefit to Medicare may be the most financially irresponsible legislation passed since the 1960s. U.S. Comptroller General David Walker says Medicare -- barring vast reform to the program and the nation's healthcare system -- is already on course to possibly bankrupt the treasury and adding the prescription bill just makes the situation worse. Walker appears in a Steve Kroft report to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, March 4 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

"The prescription drug bill is probably the most fiscally irresponsible piece of legislation since the 1960s," says Walker, "because we promise way more than we can afford to keep." He argues that the federal government would need to have $8 trillion today, invested at treasury rates, to cover the gap between what the program is expected to take in and what it is expected to cost over the next 75 years Ð and that is in addition to more than $20 trillion that will be needed to pay for other parts of Medicare. "We can't afford to keep the promises we've already made, much less to be piling on top of them," he tells Kroft.
Okay, tell us something we don't know. This too is a feature, not a bug of the Norquistian approach to government elimination through revenue starvation.

This will be more than interesting as it plays out. Drudge is one of the prime seeds that feeds the Right Wing Noise Machine. Within 12 to 36 hours, it will be "news," just in time for the Sunday Talking Heads with special play on Fox News Sunday, having already been vetted by the wingnut blogs. (Coming out on Friday will bypass Limbaugh and other assorted Radiotards, but may make it in time for Hannity or O'Reilly's spin.

Two things you won't see there, and just as likely will be missing from the rest of the MSM who are at least pretending to engage in actual journalism is why this is the law of the land, and who is the Comptroller General. (David M. Walker)

Recall that the prescription drug plan was part of the Medicare Bill our nemisis Tom DeLay forced down our throats in the dead of night, keeping the vote open on the House floor in order to arm-twist/blackmail/bribe fellow GOPers into line. (See: Investigation
of Certain Allegations Related to Voting on the Medicare Prescription
Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003-PDF)


The Comptroller General is another story, the only high level official who is not approved by the current White House, is the head of the Government Accountability Office. His overly long 15 year term is designed to allow a certain flexibility in order to be immune from political pressures to keep his yap shut.

In other words, listen to what he says, and take it to the bank.

What will be interesting is whether the usual suspects will bite on this poisoned bait, not realizing how bad it makes them look. Or is this a heads up to the VRWC that they are about to take a shot across the bow by the dreaded 60 Minutes, and they better get their ducks in line.

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