GOP reacts to Dem gag order of Humana

Senate Republicans have been quick to respond to the bullying tactics of Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), who issued a de facto gag order against Humana Health Care because it did something sensible--it informed its customers who utilize and HMO-type program called Medicare Advantage that its benefits could be cut.

One way to pay for ObamaCare would be to eliminate that program.

Baucus appears to be at the center of this story, but as the tale develops, Jonathan Blum, a former Baucus staffer who is the acting director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, appears to have initiated the muzzling tactics, according to Roll Call.

What's with these Democrats? Why can't they tolerate dissent?

Several Senate Republicans have been quick to fill in the common sense void.

Until your department rescinds its gag order and allows seniors to receive information about matters before Congress, we will not consent to time agreements on the confirmation of any nominees to your department or associated agencies.

Good for them. That statement comes from a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and it's signed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and seven other GOP senators.

In addition to writing letters, Republican senators have shown they are adept at finding old ones, including an HHS missive from 1998 that states a ban on insurance companies communicating with its customers about proposed legislation "would violate basic freedom of speech and other constitutional rights of the Medicare beneficiary as a citizen."

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