Republicans ALREADY Passed "Death Panel" Legislation

I never thought I would say this, but great catch by Amy Sullivan of Time's Swampland blog:

Yes, that's right. Remember the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill, the one that passed with the votes of 204 GOP House members and 42 GOP Senators? Anyone want to guess what it provided funding for? Did you say counseling for end-of-life issues and care? Ding ding ding!!

Let's go to the bill text, shall we? "The covered services are: evaluating the beneficiary's need for pain and symptom management, including the individual's need for hospice care; counseling the beneficiary with respect to end-of-life issues and care options, and advising the beneficiary regarding advanced care planning." The only difference between the 2003 provision and the infamous Section 1233 that threatens the very future and moral sanctity of the Republic is that the first applied only to terminally ill patients. Section 1233 would expand funding so that people could voluntarily receive counseling before they become terminally ill.

So either Republicans were for death panels in 2003 before turning against them now--or they're lying about end-of-life counseling in order to frighten the bejeezus out of their fellow citizens and defeat health reform by any means necessary. Which is it, Mr. Grassley ("Yea," 2003)?

You could make a really strong case that the 2003 Medicare bill, by the deathers' logic, is even worse than what is being proposed in the House bill because its only for people who are already deemed terminally ill. Aren't they the most vulnerable patients of all and the ones most succeptible to persuasion?

It would be nice if someone asked Chuck Grassley why he voted to unplug grandma in 2003 that's all I'm sayin.