Talk about being a Nabob of Negativism! Families USA (the political lobbying group that masquerades as a “citizens advocate”) is downright gleeful in it’s grossly premature burial of Medicare Part D. According to its new report (a love note to the Intelligensia of Interference issued on Valentine’s Day) the Bush Administration has “significantly lowered” its enrollment projections for the new drug benefit.
Really? I don’t recall anyone from the White House saying that? Maybe Ron Pollack, the Families USA “Godfather,” meant White Castle? And I certainly didn’t hear Mark McClellan say anything remotely like that during his recent, highly publicized congressional testimony. And I didn’t read it in a Robert Pear column. So could it really be true?
No. I think that the Godfather must be hearing voices — and that those voices are “interfering” with his cognitive processes.
Giving a new and draconian meaning to “family-friendly,” Godfather Ron also concludes that a vast majority of those enrolled in Part D already had drug coverage before the benefit began and that only “a very small fraction” of beneficiaries eligible for the low-income subsidy have entered the program.
Methinks that the Godfather would like the truth to sleep with the fishes. This new report is just another example of reality non-interference.
I suppose that Families USA expected 100% sign-ups with zero problems after almost a month and a half! Can’t this administration do anything right!
Proving that they are most decidedly living in a Pelosi-induced fantasyland, Godfather Ron commented, “It’s truly disappointing to see such a large number of seniors not get the benefits to which they are entitled.” He further added that the drug benefit has so far “produced rather meager results.”
I guess he thinks that if he keeps saying that enough times people may actually start believing him.
CMS spokesman Gary Karr politely suggested that Families USA spend its time and energies more productively by helping to expand the number of seniors enrolled in Part D instead of taking “ill-informed partisan potshots.”
Good for you Gary.
Karr then said that CMS has not downgraded their enrollment estimates. “The numbers that [Families USA] cite come directly from us. We’ve been open and above board about exactly what those numbers are and where we get our estimate of the 28-to-30 million.” Families USA, citing a January 28, 2005 CMS Federal Register notice, said that the administration had been projecting that 39 million beneficiarieswould enroll.
But it’s the Godfather of Garbage and his “Family” who are doing the projecting. For them it’s all about political spin and vituperative spittle. Anything for the cause.
