I wonder why Bush didn't wait until October to make this announcement? Or better yet, why didn't he give senior citizens the good news during his convention speech while he was bragging about his efforts to help the elderly cope with increased medical costs?

True to form, Bush released the bad news in his usual manner, on a Friday afternoon, and this time with the added benefit of a holiday weekend and a news cycle dominated by stories about a hurricane. "This is a cynical attempt to bury bad news by leaking it out when you hope no one is watching," said Rep Pete Stark, D-Calif. "This administration has had four years to improve Medicare and instead have made it worse. Today's news reflects the reality, not rhetoric, of this administration's bad record on Medicare."

Premiums have been increasing at an accelerating pace in recent years, rising 13.5 percent in 2004 and 8.7 percent last year.

Robert Hayes, the president of the Medicare Rights Center, an advocacy group, said the premium increase would be a "body blow" to the elderly and resulted from "profligate management of Medicare."