>>I am under no delusion that I'd even get past floating the idea that Medicare needs reform before I'd be tossed... ;)

Right, and that's the problem. I don't agree with all aspects of your proposal, especially the comparison of government involvement to cancer ;-) but I certainly agree that as the Titanic approaches the iceberg it's a bad idea to do nothing. Decisions need to be made and rational attempts instituted immediately. Some may insist on reversing the screws and others on turning hard-aport while others want a complicated mixture of both, but if we waste all the time arguing the ship will hit the iceberg and it doesn't matter who was right. Also, once a decision is made we all need to pitch in, even those who wanted some other response, because it's small comfort clinging to a mast screaming "I told you so!" as the ship goes down.