A couple of days ago, I blogged that Republicans are thinking about eliminating the late enrollment penalty for Medicare Part D. Reneging on that penalty would (1) defeat the only sensible aspect of Part D, (2) increase the tax burden of Part D by $1.7 billion over five years, and (3) ruin the credibility of future cost-containment efforts that hinge on changing seniors’ behavior.

Lo and behold, the drive to eliminate the late enrollment penalty has begun. Front and center is the Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee—Chuck Grassley of Iowa. Co-sponsors of Grassley’s bill include such conservatives as Jon Kyl (R‑AZ) and Rick Santorum (R‑PA).

And the Republican campaign to expand the federal government marches on…