Democrats and Republicans spent part of last week trading places when it came to being tough on crime and defending the meek. After liberal Senator Al Franken (D-MN) pushed forward an amendment that left Republicans reeling from accusations of being rapists sympathizers, Senate Democrats voted to cut funding for Medicare homecare programs that aid the elderly. Citing the need to cut waste and reduce health care costs, Democrats voted to block a GOP attempt to restore the Medicare cuts. Playing the part usually held by Democrats, Republicans argued the spending reductions would be disastrous for some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens. Democrats hope to reduce Medicare spending on home care by $43 billion (or 13%) over the next 10 years and use the savings to fund health insurance for the uninsured.