NATION
THE G.O.P.'S RX FOR MEDICARE
House Republicans formally unveiled their long-awaited and politically risky proposal to overhaul Medicare--a sketchy blueprint full of wiggle room that provides few details of where the G.O.P.'s $270 billion in desired savings will be realized. The proposal would allow seniors to opt for HMOS and private insurance plans (with the government footing the presumably cheaper bill) or to stay with the traditional fee-for-service program and face increasing premiums (including even bigger increases for affluent seniors). The unveiling of the proposal didn't stop Democrats from renewing some familiar criticisms--namely that the Medicare cuts are intended to...