Shameless

Nice one, Mr. Bush… Sure, deny health care to children. How can he even look at himself in the mirror? Today, our beloved (p)resident vetoed a bill that would provide healthcare coverage for 4 million children. Why? Because he felt it would push people off private insurance and onto government-sponsored healthcare. Smacks of socialism too much for Mr. Freedom.

Part of the program was to be paid for by yet another tax on cigarettes, which didn’t sit well with White House press secretary Dana Perino. She got all upset and basically said how dare we punish the poor even further by putting more taxes on cigarettes. Haven’t they been taxed enough?

You just have to admire Perino’s ability to spin, don’t you? I mean, first republicans are complaining that welfare folks only spend their money on smokes and booze, then they turn around when it suits them and whine and moan about how these poor people aren’t going to be able to AFFORD their smokes anymore. I mean, what would Big Tobacco do if people couldn’t afford smokes anymore? Probably have less money to give to republican candidates.

But the real smear job here is Bush complaining about poor people moving off private health insurance and onto government subsidy. Are there still poor people on private health insurance? I thought a good percentage of those oft-quoted 45 million without health insurance in this country were those who couldn’t afford it in the first place? As I see it, even with four million kids suddenly getting healthcare benefits, we still have a good 41 million gap to close. I wouldn’t worry too much about people coming off private insurance to go on the “fantastic government plans” yet. I don’t recall too many seniors getting that jazzed over their “fancy prescription drug programs.”

Don’t flatter yourself, Mr. Bush. Any plan that the republicans are likely to go along with (the only way this veto will be overridden) certainly won’t be the healthcare gravy train that they’re making it out to be.