Sick. Very Sick.
The House has passed an expansion of the children's health insurance program. The Senate will do the same in the next few days. The measure would reduce the number of America's uninsured children by 1/3, providing an additional 3 million with medical coverage.
And then the President of the United States will veto the bill. It will be his second veto ever. The first was to kill off expanded stem cell research. This second kibosh will be to deny children subsidized health care (Please insert swell here of Lee Greenwood singing 'Proud To Be An American').
This is sick. Very sick.
The Washington Post tries to explain this shameful episode -- but does a poor job. Too many numbers and too much tap dancing in the piece to make it readily understandable.
So let me simplify it for you: The objection that the White House and most congressional Republicans have is that this bill is so terribly flawed that it might, just might cover too many "middle-class" children instead of just poor kids. Omigod as they say Out Here in The Valley. Can you imagine that?
The Repubs argue that the measure could dangerously extend this free, and rather basic subsidized medical coverage to families of three earning as much as $83,000 a year. Defenders counter that the real ceiling is more like $52,000.
Frankly, I don't care whose numbers are correct. Indeed, I'm willing to accept the White House horror scenario that families that make a towering $6500 a month just might benefit from the plan. What's the rub?Are these flab-ass congress-oids now arguing that a three person family making that amount is somehow living on easy street? Mind you, the $83,000 figure is gross income. That means we're talking about families that might actually clear something closer to $5,000 a month or less. Out of that they have to pay rent or mortgage, food and heating, gasoline and insurance, clothing and books, save for college and THEN pay a national average of nearly $12,000 a year for a family medical plan that will still cost them thousands more in deductibles, co-pays and non-allowances.
These are the lazy, fat-cat slacker, welfare cheats the Bush White House wants to bar from any mush-minded government hand-outs? As I said: Sick, my friends. Very, very sick.
To be fair, the dubious argument offered by the Bushistas is that by letting so many comfy middle-class kiddies into the program, truly deserving poor kids will be denied. That argument might have some validity if this administration was doing anything pro-active on behalf of these poor kids other than offering tax breaks to their parents' wealthy employers and landlords.
Of yes, there's the horrifying cost of this socialized, soviet-style, big brother, guvn'ment run health care plan? Oh, about $12 billion a year -- one tenth of the tab of the annual tab for the splendid, little war in Iraq. Got to get our priorities straight. Which comes first? Nouri Maliliki or that snot-nosed little punk kid of the teacher living next door?
So, yes, Mr. Bush in spite of the fact that nearly 50 of your own GOP representatives have voted in favor of the bill, go ahead and veto it. One more reason to veto the Republican Party next November.
September 26th, 2007 at 2:35 am
This is so typical of you fiscally irresponsible liberals who always expect the government to fund you pet projects like health cars for kids. President Bush is not going to waste our tax dollars on taking care of the kids of lazy democrats who don’t want to work.
Hey Cheney how is that lastest vote on additional war funding coming along. Remember we have a job for you and your friends.
September 26th, 2007 at 7:12 am
There’s no money to be made giving health care to kids. If there was we’d see lobbyists paying Republicans to do good work, which doesn’t happen.
September 26th, 2007 at 7:32 am
http://www.dailymotion.com/LeBalayeur/video/149672
The subject matter of this (new – but old) neil young song is very related to what which we are discussing. Best thing he’s done since the mid 90s….
September 26th, 2007 at 7:34 am
How generous we all are with other people’s money.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:21 am
You open up the door just a little for socialists, and they will force it wide open and take over your house. I’ll dole the help through the mail slot rather than let them bust down my door.
There are many proper alternatives to covering needy people without a radical, although slowly staged, change in our health care system. But, the Democrats won’t hear of that, since it doesn’t give them the power to buy votes.
And, quit saying that we can afford this and that if we can afford the war in Iraq. What an absolutely stupid justification for even more spending.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:23 am
There’s no such thing as “other people’s money.” Having the privilege of liquidity is no innoculation against participation in the social contract. Americans are taxed less than everyone in the world, yet still they cmplain.
the only placce I ever heard people without kids complaining about their taxes funding public schools (but we don’t have kids!!) is America. Sorry you can’t buy that Plasma TV, pal.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Gosh, I make a reasoned response and it gets blocked, again. I guess that Marc thinks that only liberals need to be heard here. You guys just can’t stand to be shown as being wrong, which is so easy.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Bob Williams,
Indeed. $2 billion a week for a war that was constructed on lies and has made the world less safe and with no end in sight.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Our favorite rear-view-mirror leftist here writes: “…Best thing he’s done since the mid 90s.”
Um, did you check the date on that concert video? That Neil Young concert footage was recorded in 1988.
And speaking of the Cold War era …
“… there’s the horrifying cost of this socialized, soviet-style, big brother, guvn’ment run health care plan?”
Yes, Marc, that actually does seem to be the gist of the oppo rhetoric, amazingly enough. But then you have the AMA’s endorsement of the legislation — a group with a fairly long history of generally *opposing* “socialized medicine”. And the AARP endorsement on top of that? Well, maybe that’s granma and granpa getting sick of the kids’s kids getting sick or injured and having to pay for it out of their retirement plan. Or it could be that — oh, wait, bear with me here, I know this is the most audacious hypothesis — older people believe that universal medical coverage for young people is actually just a *good idea* or something? Well, who would have thought?
“There’s no money to be made giving health care to kids.”
Actually, there is. It might even go a long way toward explaining the AMA’s endorsement, come to think of it. Somebody always makes more money when there’s more health care.
I’m sure many heads in many stable, highly developed, prosperous liberal democracies “crippled” by “socialized medicine” are about to start slowly shaking their heads in stunned amazement, after this apparently inevitable veto.
“How generous we all are with other people’s money.”
Actually, this one is funded primarily (if not solely, though that’s in contention) by people who smoke cigarettes.
I’d say that’s fair. (And *I* smoke!)
September 26th, 2007 at 8:33 am
“How generous we all are with other people’s money.â€
Is it true that in America everyone has to pave their own roads when they want to drive someplace? Oh well, better than socialist transportation.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:39 am
“How generous we all are with other people’s money.â€
I hear that bob williams has to pave his own roads whenever he wants to drive anywhere. Oh well, better than the specter socialized transportation.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:51 am
My first attempt got lost and then showed up under moderation, so apologies if I end up making the same remark twice.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:53 am
The song is only being released now. It is one of his most proletarian songs, and he has said that he finally thinks the public is ready for it. Who is to say? I know that like most very talented musicians, a good half of what he does is played live for twenty years before showing up on an album.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:54 am
Sin taxes on cigarettes are not a bad way to raise funds, but I’ve heard union people talk about how their regressive, an excuse to under-tax tobacco corporations by overtaxing tobacco junkies.
September 26th, 2007 at 9:07 am
Hey Marc, you made it into the New York TImes “Opinionator” page “bigtime” yesterday with your Edwards commentary. Probably already saw it, but if you’re either too humble or too major of a media star already to mention it, thought I’d let your guests here know.
September 26th, 2007 at 9:12 am
Boy do theDemocrats really need to go on offense over this! Senator Grassley the Iowa Republican says this is devastating to his party and says if the Dems are smart (well a big if) they would introduce this every three months and make the GOP vote no over and over again and then run ads on how the GOP hates Kids! Boy is he right. This is another example of good policy and good politics intersecting.
September 26th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Didn’t see that Reg but I would sure rather have our genial host in the NYT than Michael Gordon or Maureen Dowd!
September 26th, 2007 at 9:54 am
There’s gotta be somebody out there who feels like a real rube for voting for a “compassionate conservative.”
September 26th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Reg.. The New York What?
September 26th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Gosh, I thought Marc was marginalized. Someone forgot to tell the Times’ editors.
September 26th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Well MB I read where “Pinch” Sulzberger is worried that the paper’s cirulation is dropping so maybe he felt that our genial host was just the tonic the paper needed!
September 26th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Woody Says:
Gosh, I make a reasoned response and it gets blocked, again. I guess that Marc thinks that only liberals need to be heard here. You guys just can’t stand to be shown as being wrong, which is so easy.
Can I hear a big amen for blocked comments!
September 26th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Preacher,
I have to disagree. if Woody made a reasoned response, I would love to see it, if nothing else for the novelty.
September 26th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Mavis, in a recent trip to see family in the heartland, my cousin actually apologized for voting for Bush in 2004. And this guy has almost never apologized for anything, anytime. Back then, he argued that Bush was “a genius” for invading Iraq [under the theory that a model democracy could be established in the volatile middle east...]. So I would say the apology was in order.
September 26th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
I think I would have enjoyed seeing your face in the moment when Bush’s genius was proclaimed.
September 26th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
12 billion a year? Bush is increasing funding on Star Wars…er, the Missile Defense Agency to 11 billion next year. Unbelievable.
September 26th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Marc: That NY Times piece was linked by Instapundit! You, Sir, have arrived! The Huffpost is far to small a venue to hold your fame!
(sigh. I read his stuff when he was a nobody.)
September 26th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Well I see that Bob Gates went up to the Senate today and asked for another $191 billion for our wars. Funny that S-CHIPS is busting the budget.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
I have to disagree. if Woody made a reasoned response, I would love to see it, if nothing else for the novelty.
Yeah, where is that reasoned response?
September 26th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Richard says….
Well I see that Bob Gates went up to the Senate today and asked for another $191 billion for our wars. Funny that S-CHIPS is busting the budget.
The War in Iraq is Bush’s war, it sure as HELL is not my war.
September 26th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
From debate coverage:
“Russert opened the debate by asking Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and former senator John Edwards (N.C.) — all of whom have supported a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq, whether they would promise to have all the troops out by January 2013. All three declined to do so.”
Let them lose. Assholes.
September 27th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
The “reasoned response” has been approved and is here: http://marccooper.com/sick-very-sick/#comment-579402 Do I hear an Amen?
September 27th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Nobody cares…
September 28th, 2007 at 6:58 am
It’s downright Shakespearean: http://tinyurl.com/23o5al
September 29th, 2007 at 8:47 am
Coming from reg and Randy, I consider that a compliment, as it adds credibility to me.
September 29th, 2007 at 11:18 am
In your dreams.