My wife passed on this story that could throw a wrench into the Bush re-election machinery:
Medicare has suddenly emerged as a volatile issue in this year's elections, as Democrats are vowing to roll back a sharp increase in premiums announced this month and the Bush campaign is seeking to blame lawmakers, including Sen. John Kerry, for the rise.
The trading of charges reflects attempts by both parties to seek an advantage with older voters.
Democrats, hoping to reclaim an issue central to their success in past elections, said they would try to block the 17.4 percent increase that will come out of Social Security checks next year.
If Congress does not intervene by passing legislation, premiums will rise in January to $78.20 a month, or $938.40 a year. That is 56 percent more than in 2001.
Combine the entitlement philosophy that most senior citizens have (best exemplified by Grandpa Simpson's, "I'm old: gimme, gimme, gimme!"), their proclivity to be suckers for fear based scams, and their high voter turnout rates, and you have the makings of a perfect political storm for the Dems. Look for a slate of "scary" ads seeking to exploit this issue in the coming weeks.
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