Twenty-five reasons to vote for Obama: #9--Medicare

Ever since its inception in 1965, republicans have been hell bent on ending Medicare.  God only knows why--it's a program that has helped to keep people over the age of 65 healthier and is one of the best run programs the U.S. government has ever had.  It has kept costs lower and has played a major part in Americans living longer.  Yes, it will sink into deficit spending soon, but that's not a reason to end it; it's a reason to tweak it.

To the republicans, though, this is their chance to turn our healthcare over to the markets (because it's worked out so well thus far--both in terms of cost and results).  I don't know if President Obama will make a "grand bargain" on Medicare, but I am positive Daddy Warbucks and Jughead are determined to turn it into a voucher plan and wreak further havoc on our collective health and the economy.  Despite their "just trust us" mantra as to their plan, republicans are not to be trusted on this one--especially after their riddled with errors "claims" on Obama's cuttting $700 million from Medicare when it does nothing of the sort.

This is probably one of the most personal issues for me.  I am twelve years (for you republicans who suffer from artihmetic problems, that makes me fifty-three), from being eligible for Medicare and with the nightmare that is our current health system (very expensive, yearly exorbitant increases, dealing with the layers of bureaucracy, a basic right being controlled by corporations more concerned with profit than care) I am literally counting the minutes until I am eligible.

And don't let anyone call it an "entitlement"--that is a bullshit misnomer.  There are none of us who do not pay into Medicare with every check you earn.  Medicare is as much an entitlement as a 401k plan.

And equally as important to all of our retirement years.

Peace,
emaycee