As you might've seen, Bush just vetoed the SCHIP bill just as he promised. Way to go, Republicans! So much for that whole "compassionate conservative" thing! No, when Bush comes to shove, it's working class families that end up in the mud puddle. Or much worse.
Anyway, on behalf of Families USA, I'd like to share this commercial they're running. It might remind you a bit of the old Monster.com commercials, or the MoveOn ad which should have run at the Super Bowl.
Here's the commercial itself:
Here's a bit of background on how the commercial came to be. And below the jump, some myths and facts about the SCHIP bill...
From Families USA:
The Veto: Myths and Facts
The President was given a choice when the new legislation was presented to him: stand with uninsured children and working families, or veto a bipartisan agreement that the majority of Congress—and Americans—support.
Despite the program's success and its popularity—among families with kids in the program, the public, and policymakers—President Bush is adamant in his objection to Congress’s proposal to help more kids. Instead, he would rather add a mere $5 billion to the program over the next five years. That's not even enough to keep all the children currently in the program covered, let alone cover a single additional uninsured child. The President says he opposes this bill because:
1. It costs too much;
2. It covers children from families that make too much money; and
3. The private insurance market can do a better job of covering these kids.
The facts are:
1. The cost of covering 10 million kids for five years is less than the cost of the Iraq War for seven months;
2. The bill actually makes it harder, not easier, for states to expand the program to higher-income families; and
3. If their parents could get—and could afford—private insurance, these kids would already have coverage.
I consider this legislation inevitable. This is just the Bush administration exercising what little power it has left. But displays of power like this are worse than wrong.
Republicans have currently indicated they will uphold the veto in the House, but we don't need to sway too many of them in order to flip them. And they better get on with it fast -- any one who votes against this, we cannot let go of this one in 2008. If they uphold this veto, let's make sure they're not around when it finally becomes law.