Medicare? Medicaid? Whatever

Republican State Party Czar Rick Graber has a little trouble keeping some of those gummint programs straight. All he knows for sure is that he doesn't like most of 'em -- unless there is a chance to attack Gov. Jim Doyle.

Latest Graber ankle-biting was a GOP release titled, "Doyle's hypocrisy on Medicare."

Doyle, Graber correctly noted, criticized a plan to change Social Security because it would hurt Medicare funding. But Doyle' state budget shifted money from Medicare to schools, Graber said. Voila! Doyle's a hypocrite.

No one has ever accused me of being a policy wonk, but maybe I can help the Rs sort out these two Ms. (Really confusing; they start with the same syllable.)

Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 years and older and some disabled people under 65. Medicare is run by and funded by the federal government.

Medicaid is a federally-funded, state-run program that provides medical assistance for individuals and families with limited incomes and resources.

Here's what Doyle said about the Bush Social Security plan:

From education to prescription drugs to homeland security, the federal government isn't living up to its commitments to states. The President's plan would make matters even worse. Privatizing the system would cost about $5 trillion.

That's $5 trillion less to help states pay the increasing costs of Medicaid...

... and that's $5 trillion less to secure our harbors and ports ...

... that's $5 trillion less for special education -- where the federal government has been falling short for three decades...

Let me be clear -- we're not asking for handouts -- we're simply asking Washington to be a responsible partner for Wisconsin. Most of all, we're asking the federal government to keep its commitments to senior citizens -- protecting Social Security, making prescription drugs more affordable, and confronting the challenge of long-term care.