Wyden may vote yes on Medicare

[sandnsea]

I just checked my email.

Dear Oregon friends: Please call Sen. Wyden. 202 224-5244

On Monday the Senate will vote on the prescription drug bill that only the drug industry and the HMO industry could have written. The vote will be very close, with Sen. Kennedy, Sen. Kerry, Sen. Daschle, Sen. Clinton and others leading the effort to defeat the bill and send the Congress back to the drawing board to produce a good prescription drug bill within Medicare.

It looks like Wyden will vote for the Medicare bill (though in his speech on the floor he left open the possibility that he would vote right on some proceedural questions). Sen. Wyden needs to hear from many of his constituents as early as possible on Monday. Remind him that once, long ago, he was a leader of the Gray Panthers in Oregon.

[bluestateguy]

1. I think he's lost already

He's up next year. Otherwise I'm sure he'd vote no. For some reason, some people seem to think this is a popular bill in Oregon. David Wu was bludgeoned into voting yes too.

These misguided Metoo-crats. They think voting yes will make them look statesmanlike and independent and that it will inoculate them against attacks by Team Bush. They did not learn the lessons of Jean Carnahan and Max Cleland. Bush and Rove will come after them anyway.

[sandnsea]

2. Maybe it's Medicaid

Seniors make up a very large part of the Medicaid bill and alot of states don't get a fair distribution of Medicaid money. Maybe the part where Medicaid seniors are put into Medicare fully will ease the burden on Oregon Medicaid dollars. I think Medicare ought to fully pay for seniors anyway, but this bill is going to make it horribly difficult for the poorest to get the kind of help they need for their medications. There are people in Oregon who have died because of prescription drug changes made to Medicaid. Maybe this bill will free up more money to help those people, and force Medicare to provide the coverage it's supposed to. I don't know. It's all very frustrating.

[grasswire]

3. thanks for the heads up

I'll try to call.