Medicaid recipients should thank Jack Abramoff.

I think that Abramoff's appeals to Tom DeLays worst appetites have made America a better place, because DeLay's gross corruption has become public knowledge and reduced his ability to make Republican congresspeople hammer the poor "44 House Republicans broke with their leaders to demand that as much as $20 billion in Medicaid savings be stricken from the budget." I don't believe for a second that it is a coincidence they did this after the weekend devoted to DeLay scandals on TV.

I know that might sound cynical so I will consider the explanations for the change in mind provided by two of the 44

Of the 44 Republican signatories, 43 had voted for the estate-tax repeal. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), one of the 43, said he sees no contradiction in his stands.

"Poor people need health care, and this is an important program," he said of Medicaid.

Hmm must have been that he had never thought of the possibility that poor people need health care.

Now, dozens of House members who initially agreed to the cuts say House negotiators should accede to the Senate's position.

"This is a program that is in significant need of reform, and we believe the policy should drive the budget, not the other way around," said Rep. Heather A. Wilson (R-N.M.), who is leading the effort.

Sounds coherant to me.

As 7 times prime minister Senator Giuio Andreotti said "when you think badly of people you inevitably sin but you very rarely make a mistake" that is "cynicims is always a sin but it is rarely an error." Since he was both prime minister and an ally of the Mafia, he would know.

Well I say hurray for Heather Wilson. I apologise for all the times I nodded my head reading Josh Marshall's criticisms of Wilson. Dear Ms Wilson, as far as I'm conserned you can bend with the wind like a willow from now on. Hell you can spin like a windmill.