President Bush will not support an expansion in SCHIP, a wise decision. SCHIP is Hillary Clinton's attempt to boil the frog of socialized medicine very slowly. The program started with poor children, then their parents, and now she and her allies in Congress are trying to absorb children from middle class families:
President Bush yesterday rejected entreaties by his Republican allies that he compromise with Democrats on legislation to renew a popular program that provides health coverage to poor children, saying that expanding the program would enlarge the role of the federal government at the expense of private insurance.The president said he objects on philosophical grounds to a bipartisan Senate proposal to boost the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. Bush has proposed $5 billion in increased funding and has threatened to veto the Senate compromise and a more costly expansion being contemplated in the House.
"I support the initial intent of the program," Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post after a factory tour and a discussion on health care with small-business owners in Landover. "My concern is that when you expand eligibility . . . you're really beginning to open up an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government."
What Christopher Lee does not include in his report is that this new bill will allow children in families that live at four times the poverty rate, or who make about $82,000 a year, to be eligible for the government health care program. President Bush is correct in that doing so will encourage families who have private insurance to move to government run health care, which would be a big mistake. The government is already having a hard time funding SCHIP as it is. Including children in middle class families as well will just require more taxes to fund it.
McQ at QandO also takes Mr. Lee to task for not providing any details of the plan that President Bush is rejecting.
Comments (18)
Hm, I think you mixed up yo... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Linoge | July 19, 2007 5:29 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Hm, I think you mixed up your metaphor, slightly... Hillary is trying to boil the frog of the American public in the pot of socialized medecine very slowly...
I would love it if she were trying to cook socialized medecine, but I somehow doubt it ;).
1. Posted by Linoge | July 19, 2007 5:29 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 17:29
2. Posted by Steve Crickmore | July 19, 2007 5:32 PM | Score: -1 (5 votes cast)
Bush:"I believe government cannot provide affordable health care."
That really makes sense to the 45 million Americans who are uninsured, and can't afford the affordable health care that private industry is now providing.
2. Posted by Steve Crickmore | July 19, 2007 5:32 PM |
Score: -1 (5 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 17:32
3. Posted by Jeff Blogworthy | July 19, 2007 5:41 PM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
"President Bush yesterday rejected entreaties by his Republican allies..."
With friends like these, who needs enemies?
3. Posted by Jeff Blogworthy | July 19, 2007 5:41 PM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 17:41
4. Posted by Jo | July 19, 2007 6:04 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
These people just can't wait to get as many people as possible under their thumb. It's disgusting.
Control is the name of the game.
4. Posted by Jo | July 19, 2007 6:04 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 18:04
5. Posted by WildWillie | July 19, 2007 6:05 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
I dispute the 45 million number and if the actual number is quoted, I would like to know their salary ranges broken down. I have staff that use public clinics and such and turn their nose up at healthcare coverage offered by our employer. They make a pretty good hourly wage. Most of these employees smoke, have their beers, etc. What I am getting at is MANY people choose not to be covered. So, I dispute the 45 million. It could be 25 million choose to not get health coverage from their employer. ww
5. Posted by WildWillie | July 19, 2007 6:05 PM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 18:05
6. Posted by Robin Roberts | July 19, 2007 6:13 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Indeed, the "45 million uninsured" number does not mean that the 45 million cannot afford health insurance. It means that 45 million either cannot afford it, or more often have made other economic choices as priority over the purchase of health insurance.
6. Posted by Robin Roberts | July 19, 2007 6:13 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 18:13
7. Posted by jim | July 19, 2007 6:19 PM | Score: -4 (6 votes cast)
Hm, yes. I for one hope the Republican party continues to keep the US' citizens spending more on health care than other nations, while getting less care.
I for one think our current US health care system is one of our democracy's greatest achievements.
Other nations' citizens have longer life expectancies - but we're dying with less medical care because we're ***free***.
And isn't that what really matters? (cough)(wheeze)
7. Posted by jim | July 19, 2007 6:19 PM |
Score: -4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 18:19
8. Posted by MagicalPat | July 19, 2007 6:29 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Those other nations only have about a two year longer life expectancy, most of which will be spent waiting in line for a doctors appointment. A few more years will be spent waiting for treatment, if you are fortunate enough to be deemed worthy. If you are old, forget getting a new hip or knee. Your final years will be spent in pain.
Another factor that has America ranked at number 44 is our obesity epidemic. We lose a lot of people to heart disease and diabetes related ailments which results in us getting a lower ranking. Free health care will not change this statistic.
8. Posted by MagicalPat | July 19, 2007 6:29 PM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 18:29
9. Posted by jim | July 19, 2007 6:49 PM | Score: -4 (4 votes cast)
Totally, Pat! You're right. Who cares about another 2 years to live?
And that these fools in other countries spend less money and still live longer? Show's how dumb they are! And don't even get me started on their lower infant mortality rates. I mean, what are they thinking?
9. Posted by jim | July 19, 2007 6:49 PM |
Score: -4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 18:49
10. Posted by Brian | July 19, 2007 7:27 PM | Score: -3 (3 votes cast)
So a program supported by Bush's "Republican allies", represented by a "bipartisan Senate proposal", is "Hillary Clinton's attempt to boil the frog of socialized medicine". Aren't you dizzy from that much spinning?
The government is already having a hard time funding SCHIP as it is. Including children in middle class families as well will just require more taxes to fund it.
Really? Then how is it that we can fund $10 billion per month in the Middle East without requiring more taxes to fund it? And, in fact, with a simultaneous tax cut?
10. Posted by Brian | July 19, 2007 7:27 PM |
Score: -3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 19:27
11. Posted by scrapiron
| July 19, 2007 7:52 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Steve Crickmore, the 45 million uninsured has been boiled down to less than 10 million and no one is refused medical care in this country anyway. (A real live Medic on a real emergency medical ambulance crew who has never saw one person turned away at the ER). Sleep with the lying democrat dogs and you get the lying disease and fleas. The liberals like to include people making in excess of $60 K that refuse to purchase health insurance as 'uninsured'. They are uninsured because they are idiots, (actually they know they won't be refused and can spend their money on illegal drugs) not because the government doesn't provide them insurance.
11. Posted by scrapiron
| July 19, 2007 7:52 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 19:52
12. Posted by HughS | July 19, 2007 8:28 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
It's a simple equation really -- if American children had some value to Exxon as oil-producing units the Republicans would leap to protect the childrens' health in a heartbeat.
It's a simple equation only to the simple minded, Lee. Exxon incurred $27,000,000,000 in direct expenses to generate a profit before taxes were paid in 2006.
So break that down for me and prove your point.
Here's a helpful link.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/82xx/doc8285/07-2007-MBR.pdf
As the only sober reader here, you obviously see where the "problem" is in this "simple" equation.
Let's see if you can distill it to a simple equation. Bonus! I won't put you on the clock.
12. Posted by HughS | July 19, 2007 8:28 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 20:28
13. Posted by Robin Roberts | July 19, 2007 8:56 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Our health care system is so bad that Canadians come across the border for health care that they can't get in a timely fashion in Canada. No one can find Americans going abroad for health care except for a dishonest stunt by Michael Moore.
13. Posted by Robin Roberts | July 19, 2007 8:56 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2007 20:56
14. Posted by John in CA | July 20, 2007 5:20 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
That's rich. A liberal whining about infant mortality rate while at the same time insisting it's a woman's right to have a baby shop vac'ed out of her womb. As if a liberal gives two hoots about infant mortality.
14. Posted by John in CA | July 20, 2007 5:20 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 20, 2007 05:20
15. Posted by moseby | July 20, 2007 9:33 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
If bleeding heart liberals want to get medical coverage for poor folks, they should front the cash themselves. Pool all of that money saved drivin hybrids. They'd probably have enuff left over to pay for a few abotions too. The irony of unborn liberal voters being sucked out of liberal wombs is just remarkable.
15. Posted by moseby | July 20, 2007 9:33 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 20, 2007 09:33
16. Posted by jim | July 20, 2007 11:03 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
That's rich. A liberal whining about infant mortality rate while at the same time insisting it's a woman's right to have a baby shop vac'ed out of her womb. As if a liberal gives two hoots about infant mortality.
Let's say that this is true.
Do ***you*** care about infant mortality, or not?
16. Posted by jim | July 20, 2007 11:03 AM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 20, 2007 11:03
17. Posted by likwidshoe | July 21, 2007 1:31 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Hey jim - are you factoring in genetic differences among the nations when you bring up infant mortality and life expectancy? Are you factoring in the different methods used in obtaining infant mortality? Are you factoring in differences in climate which affect the health?
I didn't think so.
17. Posted by likwidshoe | July 21, 2007 1:31 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 21, 2007 13:31
18. Posted by jim | July 23, 2007 8:08 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Why don't you do that, likwidshoe, and get back to me?
All I know is, we have the best military in the world - and it fights for all of us, not just the richest.
So we can't we have the best health care system in the world, that heals all of us, and not just the most fortunate? I ask you.
18. Posted by jim | July 23, 2007 8:08 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 23, 2007 20:08