The final vote on the proposal originated by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, was 57-40, mostly along party lines. Republicans who joined the majority Democrats in opposing the measure were Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine.
Three senators didn't vote -- Republicans Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Pat Roberts of Kansas, and Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York.
It's one thing to see the "GOP moderates" run away from this bill, but entirely another to see Rand Paul vote the plan to end Medicare down, no doubt because it doesn't cut enough programs for his Galtian sensibilities.
Still, that's 40 Republican senators who want to do away with Medicare and replace it with coupons and hope that the private insurance sector will somehow cover seniors. Dems, 2012 is being handed to you on a plate.
All but 4 House Republicans and all but 7 Senate Republicans voted to end Medicare. This isn't the Ryan plan anymore. This is the GOP plan, and they have to be made to take the political consequences at the voting booth.
Joe Sonka notes a number of Senate Republicans up for re-election in 2012 who voted to end Medicare: Roger Wicker, Dean Heller, Jon Kyl, Bob Corker, and should he survive his primary, Dick Lugar. Jon Kyl especially is in trouble I would think, peeing on the Medicare third rail in a heavily senior state like Arizona. Same goes for Dean Heller in Nevada. As Joe said, all these races should now be on the Dems radar, and the time to organize and attack on this issue is now.
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