On Capitol Hill the Senate Tuesday approved President Bush’s package to overhaul Medicare by a 54 to 44 vote. The legislation is meant to help provide the nation’s 40 million Medicare recipients help pay for prescription drugs. But critics say it will give billions to private medical companies and lead to higher medical costs and the privatization of Medicare. Senator Edward Kennedy blasted the bill saying it will “force senior citizens into the cold arms of HMOs.” A new Los Angeles Times poll found just only 33 percent of seniors polled backed the new bill. In other news from Washington, the government reported yesterday that the economy grew at an 8.2 percent annual rate last quarter. It was the fastest rate since 1984.