The Serious One (New York Times)

Herman Cain may have dominated last week’s campaign watch headlines, but Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney made waves of his own by presenting a thoughtful, innovative approach to Medicare reform that just might work. Under Romney’s proposal, Medicare would slowly transition from its current fee-for-service model to a new, premium-support version that should encourage providers to compete in cost and efficiency. This new plan caters to Republican ideals, but Romney is careful not to alienate Democrats: his plan would also give seniors the option of enrolling in an alternate fee-for-service option that’s very similar to our current Medicare program.