Internal Report Confirms Bush Misled Congress, Public on Real Cost of Medi

[Ugnmoose]

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_4796.shtml

(snip)

An internal Bush administration investigation into the new Medicare law confirms there was a coordinated effort to keep its true costs from Congress and the public.
Although the Health and Human Services Department inspector general said in a report released Tuesday that administration officials broke no laws in withholding the cost estimates from Congress, the report described the aggressive tactics that were used to keep lawmakers from learning that the administration had estimates of the legislation's cost that were $100 billion more than the president and other officials were acknowledging.

Thomas Scully, the administration's Medicare chief until December, threatened to fire chief Medicare actuary Richard Foster to prevent him from giving information to lawmakers. Scully, then the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, "has the final authority to determine the flow of information to Congress," the unsigned report said.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said Tuesday: "The IG's report describes the extraordinary deception of Bush administration officials to cover up the true costs of the Medicare bill. What they did was clearly wrong by any definition."

[AspenRose]

1. Bush misled Congress???

Naw, that's got to be a mistake. Why would such a godly man lie...bear false witness even?

/sarcasm OFF

Can you say 'smackdown?'

[BattyDem]

2. No, no , no ...

not "misled" - LIED!!! :grr:

[Ugnmoose]

3. Oh c'mon Teddy

Just say they lied through their teeth and strong armed Repukes with threats in an unprecedented delayed middle of the night vote.

[ashling]

4. According to annother story on this report,

it was done by the HHS Inspector General. And by saying that Scully had "the final authority to determine the flow of information to Congress," he is saying that it was legal - which was contrary to the opinion of the bipartisan Congressional Research Service.

Reminiscent of another legal opinion from this bunch of hooligans to the effect that the it is not illegal for the Bush to use torture because he had the authority to conduct flow of the war.

i.e., "flow" = "authority" = legality.

Well, they say the shit flows downhill, but when it hits the fan its gonna stick in some mighty high places.

:hurts:

[aquart]

5. BUT NOT ILLEGAL???????????????

Sorry for shouting.

[truthisfreedom]

6. "...the unsigned report said." the no accountability administration.

whatsoever.

[DeepModem Mom]

7. This story should be all over the TV news!

The lie was perpetrated not just on Congress, but on the people; the abuse of power affects millions of them.