Why let the republicans off the hook? The Democrats should use this issue bury the republicans. This issue surfaces republican hypocrisy better than any other. The corporate media can’t disguise or project this insanity. This issue shows families that the republicans for the special interest and not for them. More families will understand what the Iraq invasion is really costing them. I wish there were more Democrats that would play hardball with the republicans.
Posted by smooth at October 23, 2007 11:08 PMDemocrats are missing a golden opportunity.
Beginning early this year, everytime BushCo demanded more money for the neverending war in Iraq, the Democrats should have attached funding for programs like SCHIPS to the war appropriations bill...and dared Bush to veto the bill. If he did, he'd not only be screwing the children, but also our troops that he sent into harm's way.
No more compromises with the most evil and corrupt administration in American history.
Nail Bush and Cheney's asses to the wall. Box them in. Force them to go even more insane than they already are. Maybe we'll finally see them impeached and locked away for a long, long time...for the sake of our nation's children (and the children of other nations), for the sake of our Constitution, for the sake of our country.
Posted by The Oracle at October 24, 2007 01:03 AMWhy let the Republicans off the hook you ask?
Because there are 10 million kids who need healthcare coverage. Congress is polling in the basement because the American people think it isn't doing anything to address their needs. Playing retribution politics with their kids health isn't the way to change that.
Posted by snark at October 24, 2007 04:29 AMHopefully Nero jr will veto it again.
It's a tough call as to the wisdom of this. Annihilating conservatism for a decade requires that the citizens see just how much the GOoP hate our country, its government and most of its people, how deeply fucked up their priorities are, and how mentally deranged and sick they are as a party. Their recent support of the overwhelmingly hated Bush on SCHIP accomplishes this perfectly---it's another Schiavo "moment"---marginally sane Repubs know this and now desperately want a "do over".
So allowing this "do over" is just going to benefit a few individual Repubs and make them harder to defeat. Long term, it's arguably a big political mistake to do it, and the GOoP-led Congress would never have done such a thing. Politics trumped responsible policy always.
But snark is right, I think (but do not know) the program needs to be reauthorized or there will be major disruptions for people in need. And I suppose there is a chance that the less psychotic Repubs could see that under our constitution, the executive does not actually have the power to run the show---Congress does. Their power to over-ride his vetoes is absolute, as is their power to remove him from office. One would like to think this SCHIP "redo" and supposed override could be a route to turning the despised Bush into a true lame duck. But I sincerely doubt it.
Posted by euzoius at October 24, 2007 06:07 AM
Snark, I almost always agree with your posts, and do again this time. People are tired of division. They just want something done.
Posted by CG at October 24, 2007 08:02 AMState Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), created by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, enacted Title XXI of the Social Security Act and allocated about $20 billion over ten years to help states insure more children. The law authorizes states to provide health care coverage to "targeted low-income children" who are not eligible for Medicaid and who are uninsured. States receive an enhanced federal match (greater than the state's Medicaid match) and have three years to expend each year's allotment.
We are not just talking about children health insurance. We are talking about the Republic, the Constitution, Fascism, Corporate Dominance and more. The only way to turn this train around is to dump republicans and "republican like" democrats. The electorate is tranquilized by the corporate media and their own selfish issues. SCHIP could be a wake up call. I hope the Democrats that care about our great country take advantage of this opportunity.
Healthcare is a huge burden on the backs of everyone with that benefit. U.S. workers compete with workers from other universal healthcare countries. Like every other industrialized country, the U.S. needs single payer not for profit universal healthcare period. If we want to stop demolition of our standard of living and exporting our jobs we need universal healthcare now. In addition to the negative effects of the broken healthcare system, we are talking about the Republic, the Constitution, Fascism, Corporate Dominance and more.
The republicans must be dumped now!!!!!
Posted by smooth at October 24, 2007 11:04 AMCongrats to House Dems for reintroducing the legislation. This is winning issue not just for Dems, but for America.
If you want to help out, I'm doing some work with Families USA and we have an ad and a petition to pressure Congress. With your help we can get 2/3rds. Sign the petition today at http://www.familiesusa.org
Posted by Wilson at October 24, 2007 12:10 PM