QandO

July 27, 2004

Freudian slip?
Posted by McQ

While bouncing around the country prior to his arrival at the Democrat Convention, Kerry was at a stop in Florida where this occurred:

When a man stood and said he feared that the new Medicaid prescription drug benefit would lead to weaker coverage for union retirees like himself, Mr. Kerry asked the audience, "Are you terrified of that happening?" and then said, "You should be."

"Because there's nothing to stop them from dropping you," he continued. "They're dropping people now."

Beside the usual scare tactics from Kerry, ensure you read what the man said carefully.

The man was afraid of what?

The new Medicaid perscription drug benefit would lead to weaker coverage for union retirees.

In other words the man is worried that the drug benefits he now enjoys from his union will be made weaker.

Kerry's answer .... "you should be [terrified] ... They're dropping people now."

Unions are dropping people now?

I wonder if Kerry caught the "union" part of the question? I wonder how pleased his union masters are with the answer.

Meanwhile in the real world, the government's drug program's rules were softened to include more of the elderly (the richest demographic in the US).

To answer the man's question, yes, they will use the Medicare and Medicaid drug program to weaken the coverage you now have. Why shouldn't they? If the government is going to give it to you at a reduced cost whether you want it or not, why should they duplicate the cost and the service?

And that includes unions.

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