After nearly a year of Medicare Part D, it has proven to be very successful in it's present form. It can easily be improved with increased government funding and more expense to the taxpayers. As it is, intense competition among the fifty or more insurance companies involved give the policyholders the best possible deal, even better than a governmant agency could.

The opposition, i.e. Minnesota Senior Federation and others who have opposed from the start, say that V.A. and other government agencies are getting discounted prices from drug companies but forget to mention that insurance companies are also getting discounts and passing on to the policyholders.

In White Bear Lake Area Senior Voice publication, the Minnesota Senior Federation sez "Many premiums are increasing. The lowest premium in Minnesota in 2006 is $1.87. The lowest premium in Minnesota for 2007 wil be $10.60." As expected, Federation would choose the worst possible example but do not mention the fact that fourteen plans in Minnesota will raise premiums next year , while twenty-four will lower them.

To continue with their usual negative position, Federation also sez "Many of the formularies are changing so that the medications which have been covered under a specific plan may no longer be covered." Federation did not mention that Medicare said Friday that drugs-only plans will cover 13 percent more drugs next year, while Medicare Advantage Plans will cover 10 percent nore drugs.

Ideally, this plan helps most those that have the greatest need for help. With a very low co-pay for those of low income and those that take large amounts of drugs that are catastrophic.

My own personal experience taking seven drugs daily to sustain my 61 year diabetic condition at a cost of $361.o7 monthly, applied to a popular Medicare Advantage policy, would reduce my personal cost to $102.64, a reduction of 74.1%. I can demonstrate that.

AARP has a new T.V. commercial that sez "DON'T VOTE". The purpose is to discourage people from voting until they are well prepared. Taking the Union Advocate newspaper along to the polls to copy what their recomendations are is not being well prepared. Better to decide for yourself. A well informed electorate is more likely to vote Republican.

..."Gov Tim Pawlenty abstained from voting against United Health CEO". Information supposedly gotten from article in Pioneer Press on April 28, 2006. Upon reviewing articles in Pioneer Press archives dated April 28, 2006. I found three articles that mentioned Gov. Pawlenty and not one of them were about CEO of United Health. I also checked Startribune with same results. I would ask Mr. Hatch, since when does the governor get to walk into the legislative chambers and vote yes or no on any issue. That might be his intention if elected.

Democrats have decided that the Iraq conflict is one ugly baby, and they're right about that. But from their rhetoric and short memories, you would never know they were directly involved in it's conception. A majority of Democrats in congress voted to give President Bush the authority to go to war in Iraq in 2002 and then voted - more than once- to continue to fund the effort. And now, Democrats want to turn on a dime and pretend as if the Iraq war is soneone else's mess. But let's be clear: it's a mess that Democrats helped make. What's unclear is where they intend to go from here if they get the chance to lead the country. They can't make up their mind, if any to make up.

Legislatures in 16 states have loosened voting restrictions on felons over the last decade,according to a new report, a trend hailed by human rights advocates and the ACLU. Voting bans vary widely among the states , with many barring current inmates and parolees from voting until they have fulfilled their sentences, and some barring felons for life. Maine and Vermont permit inmates to vote.

Roger Clegg, president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, a conservative advocacy group in Washington sez "if you're not willing to follow the law, then you shouldn't claim the right to make the law for someone else."

I would expect that Jimmy Carter and Teddy Kennedy would be in favor of granting the vote to felons while President Bush and Newt Gingrich would oppose.

My question is, which party would get majority of felon's votes?

To answer question, bill HR5528 proposed in August 2001 to give felons the vote was sponsored by a democrat and co-sponsored by 17 more democrats, including Betty McCollum of Minnesota. The bill never made it to the floor for vote.