Yahoo! News - Bush Seen Projecting Record Deficit
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is expected to project soon a record federal budget deficit of about $420 billion for 2004, which could give ammunition to both sides of the election-year debate over tax and spending policies.

Congressional sources said on Tuesday the White House review of the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, was likely to project a deficit about $50 billion greater than 2003. But the new figure would be nearly $100 billion less than forecast five months ago.

Republicans have said privately that they would view a better-than-expected projection as a sign of progress toward President Bush's goal of cutting the deficit in half in five years.

"It takes a lot of chutzpah," said Gene Sperling, a former economic aide to former Democratic President Bill Clinton and now an adviser to Kerry.

"There was supposed to be a $400 billion surplus this year," Sperling said, referring to Clinton-era projections. "That is an $800 billion deterioration and they are trying to brag about it."

Watch for them to brag about the "success" of the 9/11 commission findings also, after having dragged their feet kicking and screaming all the way. Don't people see through this? Are memories that short? I found it interesting that this story followed-

Medicare Plans to Cut Pay for Cancer Drugs
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration announced plans Tuesday to cut Medicare payments to cancer doctors, saying taxpayers have been paying the physicians up to twice what they should for certain medications.

Cancer doctors and patient advocates said the proposal could force a dramatic change in care, with patients forced to get their treatment in hospitals, sometimes far from their homes, rather than in physicians' offices.

"A patient of mine in rural Illinois may have to drive another 50 miles," said Dr. Edward Braud, a medical oncologist who was interviewed by telephone Tuesday from his clinic in rural Jacksonville, Ill.

Ellen Stovall, a two-time cancer survivor who is president and chief executive of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, said, "Our concern is that whatever cost-savings may be realized will come at the expense of quality care for patients."

Of course it will. There will be fewer doctors around who will be willing to treat Medicare patients. As I blogged previously, the number dropped about 23% in the last few years. But, hey, who cares about the poor and the sick, right?