Democrat: Medicare Cost Numbers Held Back

[AZCat]

By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - One of two Senate Democrats who helped write the new Medicare prescription drug law said Wednesday the Bush administration withheld information about the law's estimated cost at key moments in negotiations last year.

With Health and Human Services (news - web sites ) Secretary Tommy Thompson sitting before him, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said the administration's higher estimates "were never raised by the administration in conference, never raised in the room. Never."
<snip>
Thompson, testifying to the Senate Finance Committee about Bush's proposed 2005 budget, bristled at Baucus' assertion. "You said I was not forthcoming. I take umbrage to that," Thompson said.
<snip>
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., came to Thompson's defense. "Why on earth would it be in the administration's best interest...to hide the higher number?" he said.
<snip>

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&ncid=1278&e=1&u=/ap/20040204/ap_on_go_co/medicare

[MidwestTransplant]

1. Duh

""Why on earth would it be in the administration's best interest...to hide the higher number?" "

Um, because it would have been voted down in the house or the member would have had to receive larger bribes.

[pinto]

2. "I take umbrage to that" Perp as victim is the basic MO for this admin.

[montanacowboy]

3. Baucus laid down with the dogs

and now he has fleas - he used to be a good Senator - what a suck up he has become

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Baucus: "If I only would have known!"

Bullshit. That bill was a piece of trash from the get-go. Over budget or not.

[fob]

4. "administration's best interest...to hide the higher number?"

Because there is a limit for a bill to a $400 billion over 10 year cost. That may actually be a Senate or Congressional "agreement" but it's been reported. That way they can say they are being fiscally responsible by a self-imposed cap, which of course is a lie exposed by the immediate release of the real number after it's passed.

If they came in with the higher number then the dems(non-pink-tutu) would cry foul and the repukes would have to debate what they were reducing and why. They didn't want that, it would have killed the whole bill before they were able to take credit for the disaster that it is.

[WildClarySage]

6. Those bastards

now they're stealing ubrages


hmm, why would it be in their best interest...