I prefer to line up with Ted Kennedy, Bob Kuttner, Paul Krugman and other progressives, who clearly recognize that this bill will inevitably to Medicare's privatization, is nothing but a giant payoff to big pharma and HMOs and will cost seniors a pretty penny. As to the latter point, if a senior incurs $3,600 in annual costs, the program will only cover $1,285, a little more than a third!

And being in agreement with the Wall Street Journal editorial page is usually a good sign that something is wrong.

No-- I agree with Kennedy, Kuttner et al on substantive goals, but one always may disagree with allies on strategy. And one may very well agree with enemies on substance on the analysis of likely political outcomes.

I'm not putting big chits down on my opinion on the bill-- Kennedy et all may be right on the likely politics of the bill's passage, but I think on balance they're wrong, not on criticisms of the bill but on thinking we can't do better with this half-loaf than with no-loaf.

Another reason why, from a purely political point of view, it is important to defeat the Medicare bill. Bush and Rove are now making noise about social security privatization. So:

"Republican leadership aides on Capitol Hill said it is more likely to be a winner if Congress passes the GOP plan to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. "That will give us credibility with seniors," an aide said."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1932-2003Nov20.html

So passage of this bill will place social security more in jeopardy. Not to mention the boost it will give to Bush's election prospects.