Scott Spiegel

“The knives are out – yet again – for Joe Lieberman.

“By declaring his intention to filibuster any health care bill that includes an expansion of Medicare, the Democrat-turned-Independent U.S. senator from Connecticut has provoked an angry backlash from liberals in his former party…

“My own view is that Lieberman should be thanked by Democrats…

“Lieberman is saving the Democratic majority from their apparent willingness to expand Medicare just as the demographic tsunami of 77 million baby boomers begins to cash in their $11 trillion claim on the program.

“Medicare is already our largest and most expensive federal entitlement. It is already growing at more than $50 billion a year. It doesn’t need to get bigger – not now, as deficits, debt and borrowing costs rise by the day.

“Yet the Senate provision to which Lieberman objects would expand Medicare by decreasing the age of eligibility and adding a new non-health care payment for long-term care. Deceptively, this is actually scored by the Congressional Budget Office as a $70 billion savings – because premium inflows would exceed benefits for the first 10 years. But that state of affairs won’t last; both new entitlements are likely to prove pricey to taxpayers over time.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/12/17/2009-12-17_in_praise_of_joe_lieberman.html

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