Will Bush's Medicare Flip-flop cost him votes?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Poll question: Will Bush's Medicare Flip-flop cost him votes?

Democrat John Kerry said Saturday that a record increase in Medicare premiums for doctor visits was another failed promise from President Bush.

The Bush administration announced a day earlier that monthly premiums for a portion of the program for the elderly and disabled will rise $11.60 next year, to $78.20. The 17 percent increase is the largest in the program's 40-year history.

Kerry pointed to Bush's promise in his convention speech to make Medicare stronger. The speech and the increase are highlighted in a new Kerry campaign television ad to start running Tuesday in battleground states. "On the day after saying he'd strengthen Medicare, Medicare premiums go up for senior citizens 17 percent," Kerry told supporters at a rally in this electorally important state.

"Who are they going to send the bill to? Are they going to send the bill to Halliburton? Are they going to send the bill to Ken Lay and Enron?" he said.

"You bet they're not, they're going to send the bill to our senior citizens. They're going to send the bill to all of you people." Kerry also blamed the Bush administration for driving up health care costs with its refusal to let Medicare negotiate lower-price drug purchases and its opposition to people buying cheaper medications in Canada.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/9583940.htm

[joefree1]

1. Flag sucking feels good for a short while

... unemployment and no medicare feels bad for a long while.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. Absolutely

That and the increase in drug prices. I don't know any senior citizen who does not take some form of medication.

Old people vote.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. In fact seniors have the highest turnout of any age group by far.

[Doosh]

4. not unless we expose it as a flip flop and hammer him on it

[Feanorcurufinwe]

5. Well the article says they are gonna run an ad on it.

It's not on the website yet, though.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. It's up now

http://www.johnkerry.com/video/console.php?video=090504_immediate#090504_immediate

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

6. Kick

:kick:

[iwantmycountryback]

7. This is good for the campaign

Very very damaging for Bush. Hopefully at least. Nice to see that Kerry will use this.

[TexasSissy]

9. I don't get it. What does a price increase have to do with not

strenthening Medicare? One seems unrelated to the other. If the ad doesn't make the connection, I fear that is what many people will think when they see the ad.

Also, I think the ad should also say, "Did he know about the price increase, when he made the speech?" without direct accusation. (Of course, he had to know.)

[Feanorcurufinwe]

10. I think seniors will get it.

[Chichiri]

11. Yes, but . . .

. . . for the number of votes to make a difference, we need to broadcast this flip-flop -- LOUD and CLEAR. Kerry's new ad is starting to do that, and way to go for him.

I still think we should just come out and call Bush a LIAR. That's what he is, on pretty much every political issue there is.