The only possible good news about the new Medicareless law

The truth, some say, will out. And hopefully payback will indeed be a bitch.

Washington, March 16 (New York Times) - When President Bush signed into law the biggest expansion of Medicare in 38 years last December, the moment was widely considered one of unalloyed triumph for the Republicans. ...

But the partisan war over Medicare did not end; if anything, it has escalated in recent days. And Mr. Bush and the Republicans have arguably wound up with more headaches than political advantage from the new law, at least so far.

Such headaches - may they be not cluster headaches, not migraines, but clusters of migraines - are only what they deserve.

- They lied about the cost.
- They threatened to fire the chief actuary of the program if he told Congress the truth about the cost.
- They kept a "15 minute" vote open for three hours while they convinced a few waverers to change their votes, "convincing" which included political threats and possibly offers of bribes.
- They lied about the effects of the program.
- They packed it full of corporate favors, including a ban on "Medigap" insurance for drugs as of 2006, hindrances to import of cheaper drugs from Canada, and a prohibition against the government using its bulk purchasing power to negotiate lower prices.
- And now they're using public monies to tout the program as a "good thing" under the claim of "educating the public."

Political headaches? That's the least they deserve.