Senate Rejects Paul Ryan Medicare Plan

More bad news for Paul Ryan's Medicare proposal: The Senate today rejected Ryan's 2012 budget blueprint that calls for overhauling the system, reports Politico. All Democrats voted against it, as expected. But in a potentially troubling sign for GOP leaders, five Republicans broke ranks and joined them: moderates Scott Brown, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, and Lisa Murkowski, along with Rand Paul. (The latter, however, voted against the measure not because he thinks it's too radical but because it's not radical enough.)

The vote comes a day after Democrat Kathy Hochul won a congressional seat in GOP territory in part by making Medicare the centerpiece of her campaign. The Senate outcome (50-47) was never in doubt, but Harry Reid and Democrats wanted to put Republicans on record as backing Ryan's plan, which is fast becoming the big issue in the 2012 races, notes AP. (More Senate stories.)