THE GOP AT WORK

First, GOP senators block an attempt to prevent a 10% cut in Medicare payments. Medicare provides health care to many of the elderly, who are facing other cuts in services because of high gasoline prices. It's nice to see that the Democrats are pushing back on this issue:

Democrats hit GOP on support for Medicare cuts
Jul 5, 11:07 AM (ET)
By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, accused Republicans of putting seniors and military families at risk by siding with President Bush against a measure to prevent Medicare cuts.

Durbin, D-Ill., used a Saturday national radio address to call on Republicans to back the bill to stave off a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors.

It passed the House overwhelmingly last week in defiance of Bush's threat to veto it, but it fell just one vote short of the 60 it needed to advance in the Senate, with most Republicans voting "no."

"It's time for the Republican senators who are filibustering this measure to put our seniors and our military families ahead of private insurance companies and let the Senate pass this bill as soon as possible," Durbin said.