[Sen.] Talent pivots [Flip Flops] on Medicare late penalty

[usregimechange]

Seniors are among the most reliable voters, especially in off-year elections. So it’s no wonder that both Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., and his opponent State Auditor Claire McCaskill, are scrambling for their votes.

The latest manuever came from Talent, who this week joined several colleagues to introduce a bill that would lift the penalties for seniors who missed Monday’s deadline to sign up for the presicription drug benefit program.

The problem for Talent is, he recently voted against extending the deadline to sign up for the program, so his new bill is a reversal of sorts–something McCaskill and the Missouri Democratic Party were quick to note.

“Much like he did on the issue of stem cell research, Sen. Jim Talent has again flip-flopped on an issue important to Missouri families due to mounting pressure,'’ said Jack Cardetti, spokesman for the Missouri Democratic Party. “This time Talent has announced that he now supports dropping the penalty that seniors will pay for missing the May 15 deadline to sign up for the new Medicare prescription drug program, despite that fact that 24 hours early he remained opposed to extending the deadline.

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http://www.stltoday.com/blogs/news-politicalfix/2006/05...dicare-late-penalty/