Dems Demand Investigation into Charge by Medicare Officer

[DeepModem Mom]

New York Times:

Democrats Demand Inquiry Into Charge by Medicare Officer
By ROBERT PEAR

Published: March 14, 2004


WASHINGTON, March 13 — Democrats called Saturday for an investigation of charges that the Bush administration threatened to fire a top Medicare official if he gave data to Congress showing the high costs of hotly contested Medicare legislation.

(Before the Congressional vote on the Medicare bill, the Bush administration insisted the legislation would cost no more than $400 billion. On January 29, after Bush had signed the bill in December, the White House announced that the cost would be $534 billion.)

The official, Richard S. Foster, chief actuary of the Medicare program, said he had been formally told not to provide the information to Congress. Moreover, he said, he was told that "the consequences of insubordination would be very severe."...

***

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/14/politics/14MEDI.html

EDITED BY ADMIN FOR COPYRIGHT REASONS

[fearnobush]

1. Once again, more proof that the Bushco is corrupt to the core.

They're even threatening to kill off their own.

[blm]

15. Crooks and liars. Just the latest example.

This one may do some real damage down the road.

[caledesi]

2. This is just unbelievable. There is a scandal per day. nt

[NJCher]

3. republicans are so "cost-sensitive"

"They did not want to impose huge unfunded liabilities on the American taxpayer."

Oh yeah? It sure didn't bother them to shove a war they knew would cost over $155 billion + down our throats. And an occupation that is costing billions more.


Cher

[Renew Deal]

4. Crooks and Liars

Anybody been asking for proof? Here is some.

Here is another tidbit:

<snip>
At a press briefing on Jan. 30, the White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, said Mr. Bush had been informed of the final higher cost estimate "just in the last two weeks."

But administration officials said they had known for months that, according to their own actuaries, the costs could far exceed $400 billion.
<snip>

BTW, where the fuck is the PPI number? That was due more than a week ago. It has been on time since 1940. It measures inflation. Some people here have speculated both signs of inflation and deflation. That could be bad. Where is the #?

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Quite a tidbit,B7 -- and interesting re. the PPI number --

There is no trusting these people, who have no respect for our political norms and traditions, or, I think, even our laws and Constitution.

[izzie]

6. Well the Bush and Co just do not know how to tell the truth.

And since this man was to speak for them. Off with his head.

[snippy]

7. Neither the January nor the February PPI has been released.

The administration excuses have been plausible, but if the PPI shows a big jump whenever it is released the bond market might get ugly.

[zanana]

8. snippy--What is the excuse for this?

I just checked out the Dept. of Labor website and read the latest PPI info. It IS December's. So, what excuses did the administration give?

[snippy]

12. Good question.

The initial excuse was related to "unexpected difficulties" in a conversion from an older industry classification system to an updated one. But on Friday an additional excuse of "outdated computers" was said to be partly to blame. Either or both of these excuses may be true, but the conversion to the new industry classification system has been long planned so the BLS has had plenty of time to test the conversion.

A talking head on CNBC said recently that some bond traders have speculated that the number came in at such an unexpected level that the BLS is trying to find an error to correct. However, that speculation was based only on how odd the delay is. The PPI is expected to have risen slightly over the December number because of rising commodity prices and the falling dollar.

[NJmaverick]

9. These charges are very serious

They need to be talked up big time. This appears to be a near impeachable offense.

[RoadRunner]

10. hi nomad1776, welcome to DU!

:hi:

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Serious, indeed, nomad1776 -- and welcome to DU --

[Cooley Hurd]

13. Harassment and intimidation are the MO of the administration...

This is soooo textbook Bush...

[yardwork]

14. This is why Bush will lose in November.

Robert E. Moffit, director of the Center for Health Policy Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said: "There's no excuse for what the administration did. The people who were hurt the most were Congressional Republicans who put their faith in estimates that turned out to be wrong."

[schultzee]

16. So Corrupt! Republicans are the most corrupt.

[Moderator]

17. DeepModem Mom

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
news source.


Thank you.

DU Moderator

[DeepModem Mom]

18. Sorry -- Thought I could include more if some paragraphs...

contained only one sentence.