Why did Republican Senators first block the Medicare bill, then vote for it when they knew it would pass?

Question

Were they hoping senior citizen wouldn't notice?

***By the way, if you are from Texas, both Senators voted to block the bill from reaching the floor, but once it got to the floor for the vote, they voted for the bill.

Answer 1

Also why did so many republicans give Senator Kennedy a standing ovation when he arrived to vote on that bill?

Answer 2

Senior citizens don't miss much and it's an election year.