As the Senate Finance Committee works on a health reform bill from Democrats, both parties are doing their best to cast themselves as defenders of seniors, while arguing the other wants to ruin their government safety net.

Speaking about one GOP amendment that would have done away with over $500 billion in Medicare savings, Sen. Max Baucus raised his voice for one of the few times in this health reform battle.

"The main point is, the effect of this amendment is to hurt seniors," Baucus said.

"We are not cutting Medicare services for seniors," protested Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI.)

In past years when Republicans have been running the show, it's been Democrats who used to go on the attack and force Republicans to make statements like that, characterizing any effort by the GOP to slow down increases in Medicare or Social Security spending as a "cut."

Now Democrats are the ones who have to defend $500 billion in "savings" as they try to convince seniors that it won't mean a cut in their benefits.

"This bill is paid for by cutting - I think the better word may be slashing - Medicare by nearly $500 billion," said Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS.)

This isn't a minor point, as the support or opposition of seniors to health care reform will be very important in the weeks ahead.

About 15 miles from the Capitol, in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., Vice President Biden tried to assuage seniors in an appearance on health reform.

"Nobody is going to mess with your benefits. Nobody. All we do is make it better for people on Medicare," Biden argued.

I can close my eyes and imagine President Bush saying the same thing when he started talking about reforming Social Security.

Democrats demagogued the heck out of that issue and forced Bush to give up on retirement reforms.

Whether Republicans can replicate that on health reform is unclear.