Was This a Bad Week for Democratic Presidential Candidates?
BROWN: Here now to presidential politics. Haven't been a good week for the Democrats, many believe. The party has led the fight for Medicare and prescription drug coverage for decades and that may have been pulled out from under them this week. The economy seems to be getting better and then the decision on gay marriage in Massachusetts, which may create some problems for Democratic candidates, as well. Joe Klein from "Time" magazine, regular contributor of ours is here to talk about that. I want to talk about Medicare first because I think this is the big one. The Democrats are in, to my thinking, you've never been afraid to tell me I'm wrong, a terrible box here. The box got tighter when the AARP signed on.</s>JOE KLEIN, PAULA ZAHN NOW CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, the American Association of Retired People. One of the biggest lobbies there and usually a fairly safe liberal lobby came out in favor of the prescription drug benefit which the Democrats have been for since before forever. In fact, they have used this issue to hammer Republicans in campaign after campaign after campaign.</s>BROWN: This is kind of Clinton-ish in a sense in the way that Clinton sees crime and welfare reform.</s>KLEIN: That's right. That's right. You know, the Republicans this week, the Bush administration spending like drunken sailors between the Medicare bill and the energy bill, but in terms of Medicare, even if it doesn't pass the Senate, which it is likely to do, by the way, even if it doesn't pass, Bush will be able to look at five of the six main Democratic candidates and say, why did you oppose prescription drugs for seniors? And the reasons why they did is because they are against a reform of the Medicare system, which is now a fee for service plan which means anybody who want to go to the doctor can go to the doctor and get whatever they want. What's going to have to happen with Medicare because it is such an expensive program and there are so many of us. It's going to be the same kind of...</s>BROWN: There are so many of us who are getting old fast.</s>KLEIN: Yes. Speak for yourself, but in any case, well, I'm -- in any case, what's going to have to happen is that Medicare is going to have to become like the rest of health care. It will have to be HMOs, PPOs, managed care if we're going to keep the cost contained. The Democrats are against that.</s>BROWN: Democrats, at best, lose an issue that would have been their issue. They gain one they'd rather not have and that's the issue of gay marriage. How big an issue do you think this is going to be? The Republican's like this issue, don't they?</s>KLEIN: They like the issue but they can't like it too much. If they push too hard on it, people are going to be offended. It's the kind of thing where it will fly just slightly under the radar screen. The Democrats all are in favor of civil unions, which is a euphemism for gay marriage. And the polls right now say that the public doesn't like gay marriage by about 60/40.</s>BROWN: Do you think they can make the distinction between gay marriage...</s>BROWN: Yes. Yes. And say, well, no, what we're actually in favor of making sure that people who are in committed relationships, whether they gay or straight, have the same property rights and legal rights and that sort of thing.</s>KLEIN: Look, I think there's a strong rational case to be made for that. And a case very popular among people under the age of 30 however, it's very unpopular among people over the age of 65. Those people tend to vote. The young people tend not to.</s>BROWN: Meanwhile, the economy continues to get better by all reports.</s>KLEIN: By some reports, but we'll see how it goes. There are some conflicting signals.</s>BROWN: Good to see you.</s>KLEIN: Good to see you.</s>BROWN: Joe Klein with us tonight. Thank you very much. As the United States continues its hunt for Osama bin Laden, some intelligence experts believe al Qaeda has gone underground. A strategy shift that could make the world a more dangerous place. We'll have a report coming up. And the changing face of women's magazines, perky and cheerful, vs. sour. What do women really want from the newsstand?