Ok, I wasn’t sure precisely what Bush meant when he said:

Seniors happy with the current Medicare system should be able to keep their coverage just the way it is. And just like you, the members of Congress, members of your staffs, and other federal employees, all seniors should have the choice of a health care plan that provides prescription drugs.

At first I just thought he was suggesting the prescription drug benefit that’s been kicking around for a while now. Then I realized that “just like you” was a reference to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan, and if it’s not quite “privatization,” it would constitute (based on my very limited understanding) a shift to a more market-based system of healthcare provision. Huh, I suddenly like the speech a bit better. And as long as I’m mellowing a bit, I suppose as unconstitutional federal handouts go, a few bucks to help African aids victims and an emphasis on treatment over the “war on drugs” aren’t too bad either.