Example of Political maneuvering on Health Reform

[daenku32]

I know there are plenty of example of political games in the legislative process, but I found this pretty interesting:

Dems defeat GOP on restoring $40B in Medicare cuts (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hjFe83y7CL98QraJ_lcqFtNoxJQgD9CDC5OO0)

Essentially Democrats first promised $460 billion in "cuts" or "savings" in the existing Medicare program.
Republicans, not wanting to jump on board of a Democratic bill, want to stop the bill by scaring the elderly voters by "showcasing" $40 billion cost cutting amendment.
Democrats say "no you don't" and leave out the Republican amendment, since Democrats say that the Medicare savings would come from cutting waste, not services, which the GOP amendment would have cut.

Anyone else have other examples of weird political games in the health care reform process?

EDIT: Or am I reading this wrong. Were the GOP actually going to prevent $40 in cuts to Medicare? Because that might actually be even more interesting.

[Puppycow]

Role reversal.

Usually it's republicans saying we need to do something about the runaway cost of entitlements, and democrats telling the elderly that the republicans are after their medicare.

Kind of shows how politicians on both sides don't really believe what they say, and will use whatever argument is politically convenient to make for partisan reasons.

[Beerina]

Many times more people will vote for something in Congress, knowing when it gets to the Senate, the Senate will block it. In this way, they can pick up the pro votes without losing too much anti votes, were it to pass, which it won't for that reason and they know it ahead of time.

Do you ever wonder why so many things only barely pass, or only barely don't pass? The close votes are more about backroom negotiations to see who gets the prized yes or no spot opposite of what their party really wants, because that guy's district is actually of a different opinion, and he's worried about votes.

Look at all the problems getting Southern Democrats to vote for health care, etc.