Bush & Medicare: Irresponsible or Irresponsible?

by David R. Remer PoliWatch.Org

The following story showed up in my news feed and begs a very important question to be asked:

White House Says Congress Underestimated New Medicare Costs. The budget is not only for prescription drugs, but also for private health insurance plans that would be offered to the elderly. By Robert Pearand Edmund L. Andrews. [New York Times: Business]

Before the question a couple of facts. Fact, the President has his own team of economists and accountants in the Office of Management and Budget. (OMB) Second, the Congressional counterpart is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). So, obviously the CBO came up with and estimate, attached it to the bill and sent the Medicate Bill to the President's desk for signature. The President signed it.

Now, the question. Did the President do his homework and have the OMB determine the cost of the Medicare Bill before he signed the bill?

If he did, then the above headline story is a political ploy pure and simple whereby, the President knew how much it was going to cost from his OMB, approved that cost and signed the bill, and waited for wax to hit the fan, planning all along to blame the cost overruns on the Congress.

If the President did not do his homework by getting the cost of the bill from his own OMB before signing the bill, then folks, we have a grossly irresponsible man signing blank checks at the head of our government. One too busy planning on how to keep power to be bothered with the responsibilities of his office to the American people.

So, which is it, Mr. President? What did you know and when did you know it? Are you signing bills you know will sticker shock the American people spiral our national debt without foreknowledge of the people, or, are you child with a credit card with no discipline or knowledge on how to responsibly use it?