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Fuck Grandma, we're campaigning. Compassionate conservatives focus more on media manipulation than compassion (WSJ):

The Bush administration announced a record increase in next year's Medicare premium for doctor visits -- ahead of a holiday weekend and six weeks earlier than it is typically released.

The increase of $11.60 a month was the largest ever and, at 17.4%, was the biggest percentage rise since 1989*, when an earlier drug-coverage bill was passed and then repealed.

Much of next year's premium increase reflects changes made in the Medicare drug-benefit bill that passed with Mr. Bush's backing. The premium rose 13.5% this year and 8.7% last year.

[...]

In past years, premiums were announced in mid-October, along with changes in Social Security payments to the elderly and disabled. If the administration kept to that schedule this year, the increase would have been announced just ahead of the November election.

The elderly, the working poor, Enron employees, the environment, the Guard and the Reserves, Iraqi civilians, underfinanced schools... is there anybody that Republicans won't fuck over to remain in power?

*Bonus quiz: Who was president in 1989, when the last record Medicare increase took place?

{ 10:57 AM }

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