Going On The Record For Medicare Coupons

Harry Reid has summoned enough intestinal fortitude to hold a vote on the Ryan Unicorn Plan in the Senate to see how many Republicans want to go on record as wanting to replace Medicare with some sort of coupon program which probably won't give seniors health care anyway, as insurance companies will simply stop offering health insurance to the elderly altogether.

"We're going to have an opportunity in the Senate to vote for the [Paul] Ryan budget," Reid told reporters, to "see if Republicans in the Senate like the Ryan budget as much as their colleagues [in the House] did."

That budget, which passed in the lower chamber with near-unanimous GOP support, includes a policy agenda that would phase out Medicare, dramatically slash Medicaid, while reducing the tax burden on the wealthiest Americans. It has become the source of significant heartburn for vulnerable House Republicans, who have had to face down angry constituents in their districts during the current two-week recess.

Reid's strategy leaves Senate Republicans two unenviable options: link arms and vote unanimously (or nearly unanimously) for the politically controversial House budget, or take political cover and expose divisions within the party over the direction GOP leaders want to take the country.

One GOP senator, Susan Collins (R-ME), has already publicly stated her opposition to the House Republican plan.

So we'll see how many of them sign up for it.  The ones up for re-election next year?  I'm thinking they won't profess too much support for it. However if they don't, the Tea Party wing will try to primary them out of existence.  If they do, they get killed in the general election.  It's a nasty trap, and frankly it's smart politics for Reid to do this.