I have mentioned this before. My Mom, who will turn 84 on the 4th of July, spends atleast 35% of her social security on health care. It’s truly horrible. She could not live alone if she wanted to and was able to. There’s no way. I do wonder what so many seniors without families to help them do. It’s really sad that we treat our neediest and weakest the way we do.

Senate Republicans went into their customary obstruction mode again late Thursday, choosing to protect the interests of insurance companies while shortchanging the health care needs of older Americans and ignoring the will of the majority.

Thirty-nine Republicans supported a filibuster of a bill, passed overwhelmingly by the House, that would prevent a 10.6 percent cut in the reimbursement rate for doctors accepting Medicare patients starting July 1. To offset the cut, the bill would have trimmed taxpayer subsidies to insurance companies participating in the Medicare Advantage program. A bipartisan majority in the Senate supported the bill, but the usual coterie of block-and-blame conservatives played their “Dr. No” role as they have since the beginning of the term.

Arizona Sen. John McCain was a no-show for Thursday’s vote. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama voted for the bill.

More here

I watched some of this debate last night. McConnell’s pitch was why vote for it when we know Bush is going to veto it, which makes NO sense. If enough voted for it, he couldn’t veto it. Harry Reid had this to say to McConnell’s bullshit: