Medicare Debate Heats Up

The Medicare debate exploded in more fireworks Thursday:

Democrats seized upon a remark by House Speaker Newt Gingrich that the government-run Medicare program will “wither on the vine” once the Republicans give the elderly new private health care choices.

They also pilloried Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole for boasting in a speech to the American Conservative Union about voting against the original Medicare bill 30 years ago “because we knew it wouldn’t work in 1965.”

The Democratic National Committee was rushing out a TV ad with tape of the Gingrich and Dole comments. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said it demonstrated “the Republicans seek not to preserve Medicare, but to end it.”

Republicans called for the political head of White House press secretary Mike McCurry for suggesting that Republicans “would like to see the program just die and go away,” then adding, “That’s probably what they’d like to see happen to seniors, too, if you think about it.”

McCurry quickly retracted those words, but Dole and Gingrich issued a joint statement demanding that Clinton fire his press secretary.

Pat Buchanan ruffled Republican feathers.

In radio spots that will debut Monday in Iowa and New Hampshire, Buchanan says: “Friends, we have to balance the budget, but Congress is going about it the wrong way. Before we cut Medicare for senior citizens, why don’t we cancel the $50 billion bailout of Mexico? Why not cancel the $90 billion in foreign aid Congress plans to spend over the next seven years?”