Conservative columnist Bob Novak wrote in an interesting column that the new Medicare prescription drug benefit is unfolding as a major liability for the Republican Party and for chief White House strategist Karl Rove in particular, who envisioned the program as a way to make GOP inroads in a traditional Democratic constituency — low- and middle-income seniors.
Instead, the complicated and costly program is causing widespread frustration and anger among seniors trying to figure out how to use it, as well as anxiety among Republican leaders looking ahead to midterm elections. It will be interesting to see how well this issue plays out.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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10 Comments
Another example of the ineptness of this administration.
I think this is a consequence of what Brownlee has on another thread – we don’t have “left and right” working together on issues. So, the GOP wrote their plan without needed input from others. Similarly, back when Hillary Clinton tried to get work done on healthcare the Dems were alone without GOP input. We are looking out for our Parties rather than our country.
Well said Ben. Big Pharma sure knows how to work together with big contributors. Chalk up another win for Big Pharma.
Bush running against Gore, first debate (Sept. 2000):
“Eight years ago, they ran on a prescription drug package. Four years ago, they ran on prescription drug package. Now, they’re running on a prescription drug package. They can’t get it done.”
And guess what, neither can W. and the Republicans.
Why? Because special interest money has bribed Washington to vote against the citizens it’s supposed to represent.
W. wouldn’t even allow Medicare, the biggest health care provider in the world probably, to negotiate with drug companies on costs like other health care companies do.
PL, Ben Huie, kansasfarmgrrrl and others,
Indeed. What this is about is using the public purse for private gain. Who, based on their contributions to Republican lawmakers, do you think got to write the legislation? Duh. Nobody in the Congress or the Adminstration gave a shit about the seniors; it was all about passing legislation to keep the campaign money rolling in. Socializing risk and privatizing profit: that’s what drives the modern GOP.
They seem to have forgotten one thing: seniors vote.
OT: Hey Wingnuts, President Gore just gave it to your holy Bitch-in-Chief, no lube. Here’s the link:
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Text_of_Gore_speech_0116.html
C’mon out and fight, girly-men.
As I said earlier, this administration can’t get anything right.
ksfarmgrrl,I don’t know about blame pharma; I think the government takes takes a major role. Think about the fact that drugs are cheaper in both Mexico and Canada. Why is that? Because it takes 8 to as many as 15 years and $500 million to get a drug on the market in this country. And we still get fen-phen and others.
Who in their right mind would want to even think about bringing a new drug on the market in the United States? My question is, where does all this money go? What does the FDA use it for? Is it being held accountable for the money that it gets from the drug companies? Why isn’t the FDA being held liable for the drugs that get past it and on the market that are dangerous?
Big Pharma is no saint, but the FDA needs to be held accountable for what it does. We are so blind in following their tainted decisions, we have forgotten who the real culprit is.
As I said earlier, this administration can’t get anything right.
ksfarmgrrl,I don’t know about blame pharma; I think the government takes takes a major role. Think about the fact that drugs are cheaper in both Mexico and Canada. Why is that? Because it takes 8 to as many as 15 years and $500 million to get a drug on the market in this country. And we still get fen-phen and others.
Who in their right mind would want to even think about bringing a new drug on the market in the United States? My question is, where does all this money go? What does the FDA use it for? Is it being held accountable for the money that it gets from the drug companies? Why isn’t the FDA being held liable for the drugs that get past it and on the market that are dangerous?
Big Pharma is no saint, but the FDA needs to be held accountable for what it does. We are so blind in following their tainted decisions, we have forgotten who the real culprit is.
Did it occur to anyone that Bush’s prescription plan was never meant to succeed? When it fails, it can be pointed to for years as reason not to pass another one!
HUSH JED, YOU’RE LETTING MY SECRET OUT!
It’s a fact that the big pharmacy companies and the FDA are in bed together. Then there’s the revolving door between the pharmacy CEOs and FDA officals. As long as that remains in place, the greed and corruption will continue.Regarding the Medicare program, it’s been an unholy mess to start with (typical of any govenment run program), but when the kinks get worked out, seniors might actually save money. It’s better than nothing, which was what they had before, but it’s going to cost the taxpayers plenty, the pharmacy companies will see to that.The US needs to follow Japan’s lead and pass laws banning pharmacy companies from advertising and providing perks to doctors for prescribing their drugs, that would help keep down the cost.—–
Can Fen-Phen (yes the banned one) still be bought in Mexico or the Carribean?