John Kerry’s relentless attacks against the president’s Medicare reform and prescription drug bill are rather brazen for a 19-year senator who didn’t even care enough to show up for 36 out of 38 votes on the historic bill, including final passage. For the first time since Medicare was funded, President Bush signed into law a bill modernizing the system after Democrats wasted years talking, discussing, and task force building instead of taking action on this critical health care issue.

President Bush said he would provide prescription drug relief for seniors and he did while John Kerry conveniently ignores reality and his record when he talks to American voters. He, his surrogates and his latest campaign ads have been strictly focused on casting blame on the president for a recent hike in Medicare premiums. These new premiums reflect the need to control rising health care costs, an integral part of President Bush’s health care plan. Not once has Kerry acknowledged that these Medicare premiums are mandated by a formula set in law, a law that Kerry, himself, supported with his vote.

By proposing a framework for addressing the medical liability crisis through common sense reforms, the president is working to control medical malpractice lawsuits that dishonest Americans are using as their own personal lottery and millionaire trial lawyers are using to line their pockets. Kerry didn’t show up to vote on the Medicare reform bill but he did make time to vote at least ten times to oppose or block reform of medical liability abuses which would save Americans as much as $100 billion a year in health care costs.

President Bush doesn’t believe you can be pro-doctor, pro-patient and pro-trial lawyer and Kerry made his choice when he asked a trial lawyer to be his running mate. His opposition to reforming this blatant plague on our health care system becomes much clearer when one learns that lawyers have donated more to Kerry than any other senator over the past fifteen years. In fact, since 1989, Kerry has received more than $15 million from lawyers. The most of any senator in that time period. His presidential campaign has received more than $12.3 million from lawyers.

President Bush’s leadership has been praised and his leadership transcends all issues to the benefit of all Americans. He believes each generation has the duty of strengthening Medicare for the next generation and true leadership means confronting the challenges

that came with reforming the system.

The new Medicare law gives seniors more choice and access to comprehensive screenings and preventative care to protect their health and reduce future dependence on prescription drugs. The reformed system will cover complete physicals for all newly enrolled Medicare beneficiaries in 2005 along with blood tests that can diagnose heart diseases and other preventative services. The president’s leadership on health care issues delivered health savings accounts which give Americans ownership over their own health care and extended access to health care to an additional three million Americans.

Do American seniors believe a man who spent 19 years in the Senate without displaying leadership on any issue, including health care, possesses the principled commitment needed to bring about change as president? Nineteen years in the Senate should serve as a resume of leadership on health care initiatives for Kerry rather than a resume of missed votes and missed opportunities to help Americans gain access to quality and affordable health care.

Fear tactics don’t stand up to President Bush’s principled leadership that delivers results. Maybe when Kerry returns to the Senate he will seize upon a second chance to actually accomplish something on health care, unless he is still financially beholden to his trial lawyer supporters preventing him from advancing real reform.

America’s seniors are too wise to let sensational lies prevent them from recognizing the truth about President Bush’s respect for them and commitment to the health care promises he made.

Jane Cushing is the Penobscot County chair of Seniors for Bush-Cheney ’04.