republicans playing the obstruction game now

[DKSuddeth]

yahoo link

WASHINGTON - Bush administration officials were wrong to prevent a budget expert from giving Congress estimates of the cost of Medicare legislation, congressional researchers have concluded.

In a report made public Monday, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said efforts to keep Richard Foster, the chief Medicare actuary, from giving Democratic lawmakers his projections of the bill's cost — $100 billion more than the president and other officials were acknowledging — probably violated federal law.


Recent estimates set the bill's cost at more than $500 billion.


Foster testified in March that he was prevented by then-Medicare administrator Thomas Scully from turning over information over to lawmakers. Scully, in a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee, said he had told Foster "that I, as his supervisor, would decide when he would communicate with Congress."


Congressional researchers chided the move. "Such 'gag orders' have been expressly prohibited by federal law since 1912," Jack Maskell, a CRS attorney, wrote in the report.


The report was requested by committee Democrats after majority Republicans refused to subpoena Scully and White House adviser Doug Badger to testify about their roles in keeping cost estimates from lawmakers.


Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., the committee chairman, said he would be willing to issue subpoenas if laws had been broken.


A spokesman for Thomas did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

 

[5stringJeff]

The Medicare entitlement bill is the worst law Bush has signed in his 3+ years in the White House. The fact that this guy was holding back info makes it even worse.

My solution? Repeal the whole thing.

 

[musicman]

When I speak of having my problems with President Bush, this is one of them. In fairness, though, he's not alone in this. No politican, on either side of the aisle, has the balls in his britches to tackle Medicare and Social Security.

Sooner or later, somebody's going to have to broach this most delicate of topics.

 

[DKSuddeth]

well, thats all fine and well but I was referring to this portion here - "The report was requested by committee Democrats after majority Republicans refused to subpoena Scully and White House adviser Doug Badger to testify about their roles in keeping cost estimates from lawmakers."

 

[insein]

Bout time you put the crow back up there. I hated that dog.

I too disagree with this bill. Money NOT well spent.

 

[Avatar4321]

Originally posted by gop_jeff
The Medicare entitlement bill is the worst law Bush has signed in his 3+ years in the White House. The fact that this guy was holding back info makes it even worse.

My solution? Repeal the whole thing.

I agree with most of what you said but its not the worst thing he signed. McCain Fiengold has that position.

 

[OCA]

Originally posted by gop_jeff
The Medicare entitlement bill is the worst law Bush has signed in his 3+ years in the White House. The fact that this guy was holding back info makes it even worse.

My solution? Repeal the whole thing.

How about that big farm supplement bill he signed way back at the beginning? That was pretty bad.

 

[acludem]

I would vote for the Patriot Act myself.

acludem

 

[Hobbit]

Originally posted by acludem
I would vote for the Patriot Act myself.

acludem

The Patriot Act needs to be revised. Some of its provisions are downright unconstitutional, but I do like a few of the expanded warrant laws (such as being able to tap a person, rather than just one phone) and the provisions that make the FBI and CIA work together.

As for the deficit and social security, it's partially our fault. Old people have the highest voter turnout, and pandering to them is the easiest way to rack up votes.

Check out this article by Dave Barry: Federal deficit: Meet the other white meat

You do have to sign up for the Miami Herald web site, but it's free.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

The biggest joke of the year is the 9/11 commission. Gorelicks unwillingness to testify renders the whole thing a sham, a fraud and a partisan witchhunt.

Obstruction? Let's talk about dems coordinated attempt under clinton to render the nations intelligence and protection apparatus null and void.

You know, "The Wall"

"how can you have any pudding if you didn't eat your meat?"

 

[5stringJeff]

Originally posted by Avatar4321
I agree with most of what you said but its not the worst thing he signed. McCain Fiengold has that position.

You are absolutely right. That makes Medicare the second worst. The farm bill is probably third.

 

[DKSuddeth]

I tried to warn the unsuspecting grocery shoppers about the dangers of genetically modified foods, and I would have succeeded, too, if I hadn't gotten my ass kicked by that giant ear of corn.

:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

 

[5stringJeff]

I'm glad someone notices my signatures Duane!

 

[Merlin1047]

Talk about role reversals. Here we have Democrats demanding to know how much one of the "gimme" programs which they themselves wanted will cost.

This is the best example of why a Republican should never attempt to out-promise the Democrats. Entitlement programs are the liberal stock in trade and Republicans just screw them up. This program was hatched in an ill-advised response to liberal demands.

But no matter what it costs, betcha it costs less than it would have if Gore were president. Only difference is, if it had a Democrat for a daddy, then it would be the Republicans bitching about it.