The real tragedy of this latest Republican lie about senior citizens isn't just the skewing of the healthcare debate, but it's the fact that living wills and end-of-life planning are subjects that ought to be encouraged and discussed -- regardless of political party or ideology. Instead, the Republicans are demagoguing it. Again.
If we were to compose a list of the top 10 "family values" I would argue that providing your family with the proper instructions for your end-of-life care would easily have to be in the top five. Putting your family through the ordeal of guessing and, in some cases, fighting about your wishes for this stage only makes a painful time that much more complicated and, in many cases, it actually serves to rip families apart at the seams.
And here we have healthcare reform legislation that offers up free cash to begin this process of conversation and planning between Americans and their doctors -- totally optional and totally covered. But instead of embracing the genuine benefit here, the Republicans are turning it into fear-mongering and a political lie. Tell me again why "bipartisanship" with these bastards is necessary?