Annie, I don't believe that it is "insanity," so much as it is a continuing case of carefully thought out propaganda sound-bites by Karl and Dick. The neocon approach is like a paraphrased version of the Arpege commercial: "Promise them anything, but give them what we think is best."

They are counting on the public's short-attention span, so that what they have said in the past won't be connected with what they actually do. Do the phrases, "uniter, not a divider," "return ethics to government," or "short preemptive war," ring a bell?

But the most telling thing ever uttered by Dubya was never meant to see the light of day: "the Constitution is nothing but a God-damned piece of paper." These un-American neocons actually believe that the Constitution, the American People it protects (from their government), and the Congress which represents the American People, are their sworn enemies.

`Compassionate' Bush Fails Children on Health

By Gene Sperling

Aug. 10 (Bloomberg) -- The story should have gone like this: ``In a rare moment of bipartisan goodwill, the Democratic- controlled Congress delivered the politically ailing President George W. Bush a much needed domestic accomplishment: legislation to provide health coverage for 5 million poor or near-poor children.''

It didn't quite turn out that way.

In a stunning rebuke to congressional leaders, and to the six (out of 10) Republican Senate Finance Committee members who supported legislation to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the White House threatened to veto bills that would have covered millions of children.

To see just how poor the administration's excuses are for saying no, here are a few choice quotes from the Office of Management and Budget's veto-threat statements:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=ajQapFw..aPY&refer=home

http://news.bostonherald.com/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1014721&srvc=home

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5042257.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=ajQapFw..aPY&refer=home

And there always has to be a stinker:

 http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070810/OPINIONS02/708100383/1006/OPINIONS

Governor of Michigan

DETROIT, Aug. 15  /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the most prominent organizations and individuals in Michigan joined Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm at DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan today to urge members of Congress and the White House to support the reauthorization and expansion of programs to cover uninsured children.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,160289.shtml

Governor Of Iowa

Governor Chet Culver is urging Iowans to call on Congress and the President to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program. He spoke at a press conference today at the Iowa State Fair. The program, which provides insurance to families that don't qualify for coverage under Medicare, is set to expire at the end of September.

Culver wants President Bush to approve the Senate bill, which would expand the program by 35 billion dollars. The bill is backed by Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin, but Bush has threatened to veto the bill in favor of his plan of 5 billion dollars. Government data shows the program provided health insurance to 6.6 million children last year, while 9 million remain uninsured.

http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=6B65E48C-ECD5-2C33-6FD6CC7C24ED656C

White House Acts to Limit Health Plan for Children

By ROBERT PEAR
Published: August 20, 2007

"The Bush administration, continuing its fight to stop states from expanding the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program, has adopted new standards that would make it much more difficult for New York, California and others to extend coverage to children in middle-income families.

Administration officials outlined the new standards in a letter sent to state health officials on Friday evening, in the middle of a month-long Congressional recess. In interviews, they said the changes were aimed at returning the Children’s Health Insurance Program to its original focus on low-income children and to make sure the program did not become a substitute for private health coverage.

After learning of the new policy, some state officials said today that it could cripple their efforts to cover more children by imposing standards that could not be met.

Ann Clemency Kohler, deputy commissioner of human services in New Jersey, said: “We are horrified at the new federal policy. It will cause havoc with our program and could jeopardize coverage for thousands of children.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/20/washington/21cnd-health.html

Bush's new plan for children's health: Punish the kids, save the insurance companies

Many children who attempt to enroll in a popular children's health insurance program will have to be uninsured for at least a year before they'll be allowed to participate, the Bush administration has informed state health officials.

The administration has repeatedly voiced concerns that some states were expanding their Children's Health Insurance Programs to the point that families were dropping private coverage for public coverage. Its latest directive is designed to prevent such crowding out from occurring.

In a letter to state health officials, Dennis Smith, the administration's point man for the SCHIP program, laid out certain criteria that states much meet before they expand insurance coverage to those families above 250 percent of the poverty level _ or $42,900 for a family of three.

For example, states must establish that a child has been without insurance for a minimum of one year before the child can get coverage through SCHIP. States will also have to assure the federal government that at least 95 percent of the children eligible for the program or for Medicaid are enrolled in either of those two programs.

But, currently, no state can make such an assurance for their participation rates. The best that any state is doing is Vermont, with about 92 percent participation. So, essentially, eligibility for states' SCHIP programs would be capped at 250 percent of poverty, said health officials who examined the administration's new policy. The policy went out in the form of a letter to state health officials late Friday.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/mochila.php?articleId=5886197&channelId=73&buyerId=talkingpointsmemo_com400732&buid=

Posted John Edward's reaction to this, as well as some of my own musings here, if interested. Great Post!!

http://www.democrats.com/node/13984#comment-76331

Senators Fight Bush on Kids' Insurance

Tuesday, September 11, 2007; Page A02

Forty-four senators, including six Republicans, called on President Bush yesterday to rescind new administrative restrictions that will make it harder for states to expand their popular State Children's Health Insurance Program.

"We oppose these new requirements as they will result in the loss of coverage for tens of thousands of children and could block efforts underway by other states working to insure more kids," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Bush.

Last month the administration informed states of the new rules, which restrict efforts to enroll children from families whose earnings are 2 1/2 times the federal poverty level. One change requires such children to lack insurance for at least a year before qualifying. Another mandates that at least 95 percent of eligible children from families whose earnings are less than double the poverty level be enrolled in Medicaid or SCHIP before the program is opened to higher-income families.

The administration has said that the new policies are necessary to keep SCHIP focused on low-income children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to buy insurance.

Republicans who signed yesterday's letter included Gordon Smith (Ore.), Susan Collins and Olympia J. Snowe (Maine), Arlen Specter (Pa.), Norm Coleman (Minn.), and Christopher S. Bond (Mo.).

-- Christopher Lee

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/10/AR2007091002679.html

Oops, Flip-Flopping Bush Did It Again, read all about it:

Bush threatens to veto children’s insurance bill

September 20, 2007

Negotiators for the Senate and House have agreed on the outlines of a bill that would provide health insurance for an additional four million children who do not now have coverage. About 6.6 million children are now covered. Under the emerging bill, $60 billion would be provided for S-Chip program over the next five years — $35 billion more than current spending, and $30 billion more than Mr. Bush has recommended, but $15 billion less than the House originally wanted.

The House-Senate accord would increase tobacco taxes to cover more children. When Mr. Bush was asked if he would oppose a tobacco tax increase, he said, “We don’t need to raise taxes,” and added that lawmakers were trying to expand the health-insurance program beyond its original mandate to aid poor children.

Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, issued a statement asserting that Mr. Bush had a much more expansive view of S-Chip back in 2004, “when he was willing to say anything to get re-elected.”

In other words, Mr. Emanuel said, “President Bush was for expanding S-Chip before he was against it.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/20/washington/19cnd-bush.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

President’s Promise to Veto Children’s Health Bill is The Height of Hypocrisy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2007

WASHINGTON - September 20 - Veto Threat Contradicts President’s Promises to Expand Children’s Health Coverage at the 2004 Republican Convention

Today, President Bush stated that he intends to veto pending legislation that would reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (which expires on September 30) and would extend health coverage to approximately 4 million uninsured children. The following is the statement from Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, about the President’s veto threat:

“During his re-nomination speech at the Republican Convention in 2004, President Bush promised that he ‘would lead an aggressive effort’ to enroll uninsured children into public health coverage so they will ‘have a healthy start in life.’ Now that the President has the opportunity to fulfill his promise, he plans to veto the very legislation that would accomplish this purpose.

“The President is turning a cold shoulder on America’s children. To make matters worse, he now claims that people who disagree with him are playing politics with America’s children. His actions and protestations are the epitome of hypocrisy: He is taking a program that has always had broad bipartisan support and making it a political football.

“The President disingenuously claims that the children’s health bill will lead to a government takeover of our health care system. However, the very groups that most strongly oppose a government takeover – the insurance and pharmaceutical companies as well as hospitals and physician groups – all support the children’s health bill.

“The President’s actions will be very harmful America’s children. It will hurt uninsured children whose education and development opportunities will be stunted.

“We call on the President to reconsider his veto threat and provide needed help to our nation’s children.”

Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans. 

http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0920-10.htm

Bush plans to cut school buses for disabled children

The Bush Administration plans to stop reimbursing states for school-based Medicaid activities, including transporting disabled students, a move that would cost California schools more than $100 million a year.

Districts are scrambling to figure out how to pay the bill because federal law requires schools to provide special services for disabled students.

"If the money stops, districts are going to have to find the money somewhere else in their budgets," said Suzi Rader, director of district and financial services for the California School Boards Association.

Public comments on the rule change, published Sept. 7 in the Federal Register, are due by Nov. 7. The cuts will take effect by the 2008-09 school year unless the administration changes its mind -- which is unlikely based on the administration's record.

Sacramento City Unified School District and other school districts rely on the Medicaid insurance program for the poor, known as Medi-Cal in California, to pay a portion of the costs of transporting disabled children.

The Sacramento unified district transports 1,100 special-needs children each day -- including some confined to wheel chairs -- and is still calculating the potential costs.

http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/392663.html

George Bush Hates American Children

Money for Little Georgie Bush’s War in Iraq - $567 billion so far.

Money for American children who don’t have insurance - $0

What kind of person vetoes health insurance for children after starting the most expensive debacle in US History?

http://www.scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=4077

41 days in Iraq vs. insuring 10 million children.

President Bush has threatened to veto legislation renewing and expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The legislation would extend health coverage to as many as 10 million children — four million of whom are currently uninsured. Bush has claimed the SCHIP bill contains “excessive spending,” but in fact, just 41 days of the war in Iraq would fully pay for the coverage:

 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/24/41-days-iraq

Bush declares war on bipartisan bill to provide health insurance to children
 
By Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) 
September 26, 2007 

This summer, in a rare moment of bipartisanship, Democrats and Republicans in Congress came together to expand the State Children’s Insurance Program (known as SCHIP) to provide healthcare to millions more children. It was a simple test of priorities, and both sides agreed to put kids first.

Unfortunately, President Bush has chosen a different course. He is putting ideology and political confrontation ahead of the health of our nation’s children, has unilaterally declared war on SCHIP, and is threatening to veto the bipartisan bill.

No child’s healthcare should be held hostage by politicians in Washington — especially by a president’s veto pen. Unfortunately, and stubbornly, this president has threatened to put SCHIP into the same category as stem cell research and a new policy in Iraq: Things the American people desperately want but this president won’t allow.

This boils down to a question of priorities. America’s families want a government that puts kids first — but we’ll settle for a president who doesn’t insist on putting children’s health last.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/bush-declares-war-on-bipartisan-bill-to-provide-health-insurance-to-children-2007-09-26.html

The Right Fight for Democrats

By E. J. Dionne Jr.

This week's showdown over children's health insurance is the first skirmish in the new battle for universal health coverage. It is also the first confrontation between the president and Congress fought out almost entirely on terms set by the new Democratic majority.

On no spending issue do Democrats have broader public support -- or more Republican allies -- than on expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program. That is why they have chosen this as the issue on which they want to take their first stand.

This battle is central to the long-term goal of universal coverage. If a proposal with broad bipartisan support that is friendly to state governments and covers the most beloved group in society -- children -- can't avoid being gutted for ideological reasons, what hope is there for a larger health compromise?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/24/AR2007092401320.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

House passes SCHIP funding with strong support.

An overwhelming bipartisan majority in the House voted 265-159 tonight to pass the popular and successful Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act. The support fell just short of the two-thirds majority needed to override Bush’s expected veto of the bill. Speaker Pelosi called on Bush to “dig deeply into his heart” before depriving millions of children of health insurance:

I’m reminded of the Bible tonight, and I speak with all of the sincerity and all of the hope to President Bush in the hope that he will change his mind. To dig deeply into his heart and think about the children in America who don’t have healthcare. Because if not, I think that the President is giving new meaning to the words, ’suffer, little children.’ Suffer, little children, if your parents can’t afford health insurance.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/25/house-passes-schip-funding-with-strong-support/

I'm not sure Bush has a heart.  (We know he doesn't have a brain.)

Looks to me like another "BRING IT ON" Bush moment:

Bush says he won't back down on veto

By CHARLES BABINGTON
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- President Bush insisted to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday that he's going ahead with his promised veto of a major expansion of a children's health program despite its overwhelming approval by Congress.

What's new

Pelosi, D-Calif., said she told Bush in a morning phone call that she was praying he would change his mind. "I think I have to pray a little harder," she told reporters moments later at a Capitol ceremony where Democrats celebrated passage of the proposed $35 billion increase in the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

It's doubtful that any new arguments were made in what Pelosi called "a friendly, friendly conversation." She said she reminded Bush that many Republicans voted to raise tobacco taxes to fund an expansion of the program and that many governors from both parties support it.

"He said he liked people who don't give up," Pelosi said, but he also made it clear that he will not back down.

Dana Perino, White House press secretary, confirmed Pelosi's account.

"The president has been very clear for months that if the bill came to him in its current form that he would veto it," Perino said. "What he did say is, 'I'm going to veto this bill, and after that, let's see if we can sit down and come to a compromise.'"

Congress and Bush have agreed to fund the program at its current level at least through mid-November.

Background

Eighteen Republicans joined a solid Democratic block Thursday when the Senate voted 67-29 for the $35 billion expansion. The House passed the bill Tuesday, 265-159, with 45 Republicans voting for it.

Bush has proposed a $5 billion increase in the program, which covers 6.6 million children from modest-income families that are not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid but can't afford private insurance. He says the bill approved this week by Congress is too costly, goes beyond the program's original intent and shifts too much insurance burden on the government rather than private providers.

Analysts say the legislation would allow about 4 million of the estimated 9 million uninsured children gain coverage.

What's next

Aware that the issue could be explosive politically, the White House released a day early the part of Bush's radio address that deals with the insurance program. In the address, Bush urged lawmakers to "work out a more responsible approach."

"Congressional leaders have put forward an irresponsible plan that would dramatically expand this program beyond its original intent," he said in the remarks, which were taped Friday and air today. "And they know I will veto it."

A veto override requires a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers, a threshold that Republicans say they can prevent in the House. Bush is likely to receive the legislation next week, lawmakers said.

http://www.star-telegram.com/national_news/story/251206.html

Our childrens thank you, Mr. Bush.   

http://www.thefreespeechzone.net/images/birthtax_lmed.jpg

BREAKING: Bush Vetoes Children’s Health Insurance.

President Bush’s veto of an SCHIP expansion was only the fourth veto of his presidency. AP reports that the White House “sought as little attention as possible, with the president wielding his veto behind closed doors without any fanfare or news coverage.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said that they have not yet scheduled a date for an override vote, but it could be “next week” or “the week after.”

UPDATE II: The House has scheduled its SCHIP veto override vote for Oct. 17.

UPDATE III: Medical organizations are condemning Bush’s veto:

“Today’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) will have a serious negative impact on low-income children and their families across this nation.” [Jay Berkelhamer, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics]

”The number of uninsured kids has increased by nearly 1 million over the past year, and action must be taken to reverse this trend. The AMA strongly urges members of Congress from both political parties to stand on the side of America’s parents and children by voting to override the veto.” [Edward Langston, Chair of the American Medical Association’s board of trustees]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/10/03/breaking-bush-vetoes-childrens-health-insurance

10/03/2007

Kerry: Bush SCHIP Veto Jeopardizes Health Care for Millions of Children

WASHINGTON D.C. – Sen. John Kerry issued the following statement today, following President Bush’s veto of legislation that reauthorizes and extends the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The legislation passed the House and Senate by a broad bi-partisan majority, and Kerry pushed aggressively for additional SCHIP funds during the Senate Finance Committee’s development of the plan, and vowed to work hard to overturn the veto.

“Today with a single stroke of his veto pen, President Bush single-handedly jeopardized health care for millions of poor children,” Kerry said. “The President’s twisted rationale that he opposes ‘federalizing’ health care is a hollow excuse for undermining a successful effort to give Governors the control and the tools to deliver health care for kids who desperately need it. President Bush conveniently forgot that he ran for reelection with a promise to give health care to millions more children and now as a lame duck president he is working to take it away. It seems George Bush was for kids’ health care before he was against it. An overwhelming majority in Congress will fight to keep our promises to America’s children, and we will work to override this cynical, callous veto.”
 
http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=284753

10/03/2007

Richardson: How the Grinch Stole Children's Health Care
 
WASHINGTON, DC-- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson issued the following statement today regarding President Bush's veto of the SCHIP legislation passed by Congress:

"The Grinch came three months early this year and stole children's health care. Unfortunately, this is no fairy tale, and unless Congress overrides the President's veto, it will not have a happy ending.

"President Bush's veto is irresponsible. It is outrageous. It is simply immoral. Of the many shifting rationales the President has offered for vetoing this bill, one is that it will burden private insurance companies. That sums up everything we need to know about this President. Choosing between insurance companies and children should not be hard.

"This bill is morally and fiscally responsible. It pays for itself with a cigarette tax right now. It will save us money over the long run by getting poor children the treatment they need when they need it, rather than forcing them into overstrained, costly emergency rooms.

"I strongly urge Congress to do the right thing and override the President's veto."

http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/newsroom/pressreleases?id=0303

http://cagle.msnbc.com/working/071001/matson.jpg

http://www.bartcop.com/sorry-health-care.jpg

Hypocrisy!

http://images.ucomics.com/comics/cscwc/2007/cscwc071002.gif

Bush's Veto Lies
___

By Eugene Robinson
Friday, October 5, 2007; Page A21

To say that George W. Bush spends money like a drunken sailor is to insult every gin-soaked patron of every dockside dive in every dubious port of call. If Bush gets his way, the cost of his wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will soon reach a mind-blowing $600 billion. Despite turning a budget surplus into a huge deficit, the man still hasn't met a tax cut he doesn't like. And when the Republicans were in charge of Congress, Bush might as well have signed their pork-stuffed spending bills with a one-word rubber stamp: "Whatever."

So for Bush to get religion on fiscal responsibility at this late date is, well, a joke. And for him to make his stand on a measure that would have provided health insurance to needy children is a punch line that hasn't left many Republicans laughing....

***

Bush's stated reasons for vetoing the SCHIP bill left even reliable congressional allies -- such as Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Charles Grassley of Iowa, both of whom supported the legislation -- sputtering in incomprehension. As for me, I don't know what to call the president's rationale but a pack of flat-out lies.

The president said Congress was trying to "federalize health care," even though the program in question is run by the states. The president said that "I don't want the federal government making decisions for doctors and customers," even though the vetoed bill authorizes no such decisions -- the program enrolls children in private, I repeat, private, health insurance plans.

And here's my favorite: "This program expands coverage, federal coverage, up to families earning $83,000 a year. That doesn't sound poor to me." But the bill he vetoed prohibits states from using the program to aid families who make more than three times the federal poverty limit, or about $60,000 a year for a family of four. Most of the aid would go to families earning substantially less....

***

Either Bush didn't understand the bill he vetoed or he's just being petulant -- with the health of 4 million children at stake....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/04/AR2007100401921.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

The Radical fringe

http://images.ucomics.com/comics/cscwc/2007/cscwc071005.gif

Support Health Care For Our Kids

President Bush just vetoed a bill extending and reforming the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

So we're asking President Bush and the Members of Congress who support his veto:

Would you deny your own family what you'll be denying millions of other families if this bill is vetoed?

If you don't believe the federal government should support children's health care, how can you in good conscience accept it for your own families?

Show your support for SCHIP today:

http://www.democraticmajority.com/page/s/CHIP

http://themoderatevoice.com/wordpress-engine/files/caglecartoons02/THISO...

Compassionate Conservatism at work:

http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/images/graphics/Get-A-Job-Small.jpg

http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/images/health-nazi2.jpg

Bush vetoes children's health bill a second time

By Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday vetoed a bill expanding a popular children's health-care program for a second time, angering Democrats who are locked in a fight with the administration over the budget and spending.

Pushed by the Democratic-led Congress but also supported by many Republicans, the bill was aimed at providing health insurance to about 10 million children in low- and moderate-income families. Taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products would have been increased to pay for the aid.

Bush vetoed an earlier version of the bill in October but Congress quickly passed another one that included some changes but not enough to satisfy the White House concerns.

"Because the Congress has chosen to send me an essentially identical bill that has the same problems as the flawed bill I previously vetoed, I must veto this legislation too," Bush wrote in a message to the House of Representatives.

The fight between Congress and the White House over the health bill is one in a series of clashes over spending that have arisen this year.

Bush has said the funding level sought by the Democrats for the health program would have expanded it beyond its original intent of covering poor children and marked a step toward government-run health care.   Continued...

http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2007-12-12T224701Z_01_N12605643_RTRIDST_0_BUSH-HEALTH-CHILDREN-UPDATE-1.XML