SCHIP and the War in Iraq
President Bush’s recent veto of the SCHIP legislation is emblematic of the cynical attitude of his administration towards our children. The ostensible reasons for his veto were both economic and political. He said we could not afford the expanded program covering poor children’s health needs and that it would be “an incremental step toward the goal of government-run health care for every American.” How frightening.
In reality the major drain on the US economy is and continues to be the War in Iraq, currently costing 720 million dollars a day ($500,000/ minute). The human cost is unfathomable.
By extension the president’s callous disregard for our children is his insistence in maintaining an active military effort in Iraq. Our children are clearly at risk there too.
The other day, when speaking of his education policies, The President commented that, “our childrens [sic] do learn.” Apparently he don’t.