Democratic strategist James Carville:
When your opponent is drowning, throw the son of a bitch an anvil.
40 million Americans on Medicare are now being introduced to the joys of George Bush's prescription drug benefit. Those attempting to decipher the plan's complexity quickly realize that Bush did to Medicare the same thing he did to Iraq and Katrina.
No complex explanations of the screwup are necessary; Medicare Plan D speaks for itself.
Human interest visuals are waiting: senior citizens from every state, party, religion, ethnicity, whatever are waiting to curse the idiot behind the plan.
So why aren't Democrats running TV ads (to be picked up by the news) showing why our ideas are better than Republican corporatism?
How stupid is Bush's implementation? Let us count the ways:
Not One Plan, But Dozens
A commonsense Medicare drug prescription plan, such as Democrats have proposed, would allow beneficiaries to present their Medicare cards at their drugstore like they do at their doctor. Bush's plan forbids Medicare to offer its own plan. Instead insurance companies are "incentivized" to offer plans.
Plans may be sold in one or more states. Depending on where Medicare beneficiaries live, there are dozens of plans to select from. But you can't select based on price because:
Not One Formulary, But Hundreds
A commonsense Medicare drug prescription plan, such as Democrats have proposed, would list which medications are covered. Bush's plan forbids Medicare to establish such a list. Instead each plan creates its own list of covered drugs.
Plan prices can be easily compared, but covered drugs vary widely. One plan may cover your heart medication, but not your cholesterol meds. Or vice-versa. (Mom, how many different drugs did you say you're taking?) But you can't select just on which drugs you're taking now; you have to guess which drugs you'll be prescribed in the future!
Not One Co-Pay, But Many
A commonsense Medicare drug prescription plan, such as Democrats have proposed, would standardize co-payments (probably at zero). Bush's plan allows multiple co-pay amounts or percentages for each drug in each plan. Plans can limit the quantity covered (need 100 mg twice daily? sorry, plan only pays for once daily).
You'll need a complex spreadsheet to compare how much each plan will actually pay for your particular dosage of each drug.
Notice What I Haven't Mentioned
Forget the "doughnut hole," a $2850 coverage gap between $2250 and $5100 in prescription costs.
Forget the subsidies to the insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
Forget the slimy midnight vote, held open hours longer than usual, while bribes were offered and threats were made.
Forget the administrative costs and marketing expenses.
Forget the huge cost and the lies about the huge cost.
The politics and details are irrelevant to the anger Medicare beneficiaries are now venting. Why confuse a simple point?
Where's The Democratic Message?
With our stable of highly-paid Democratic consultants, why can't our party produce a series of simple, emotional TV ads highlighting these problems just as millions of Americans face them? What can't a few million of those dollars in the DNC bank account run these ads in high-visibility districts, forcing national news to pay attention and amplify their message?
"This is the Republican idea of health care. Democrats have a better idea: show your Medicare card at your drugstore and take home your prescription."
Medicare prescription coverage is the domestic achievement Republicans boast about. Let's give them full credit for this crown jewel of their "compassionate conservatism". Then let's watch them sink.