Thought Theater

Private Medicine Means No Medicine If You're Poor genre: Little Red Ribbon-Hood & Polispeak & Six Degrees of Speculation

As expected, George Bush has vetoed the expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) which was recently passed by wide bipartisan margins in the House and the Senate. The veto occurred without the fanfare which has typified most of "The Decider's" actions. There will be no "Mission Accomplished" banners on this one...no gathering of the snowflake babies as was witnessed in vetoing legislation to expand government funded stem cell research. You see, when the culture of life fits the President's ideology, babies matter; when it doesn't, we get statements like the following:

"I believe in private medicine, not the federal government running the health care system."

Mr. President, let's make one thing perfectly clear, "private medicine means no medicine if one is too poor to purchase health insurance." George Bush can couch his argument anyway he chooses, but it will not change the fact that his actions will deny health care coverage to those in greatest need. Further, when the President argues that health care coverage should be expanded by offering tax deductions to those who purchase private insurance, he is really promoting the status quo. Apparently the President can't see past his own silver spoon.

Under the legislation, the program would double -- from 4 million to 8 million -- the number of children covered.

Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah was among those Republicans who split from the president. "It's very difficult for me to be against a man I care so much for," he told his colleagues on the Senate floor before the vote. "It's unfortunate that the president has chosen to be on what, to me, is clearly the wrong side of this issue."

A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted September 27-30 found 72 percent of those surveyed support an increase in spending on the program, with 25 percent opposed. The poll's margin of error was 3 percentage points.

Bush and many Republicans contend the program's original intent would be changed under the bill.

The program gives coverage to parents who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to buy private insurance for their children. Critics have said their concern is that parents might be prompted to drop private coverage for their children to get cheaper coverage under the bill.

Just what would be wrong with covering an additional 4 million children and providing insurance to some parents who can't afford to buy private insurance? Further, if the President wants these parents to buy private insurance, where are they going to get the money to do so? If they had the money for private insurance, don't you think they would buy it for their children? If they can't protect their own children, how in the hell are they going to obtain coverage for themselves? Private insurance is already available...get a clue Mr. President...poor people can't afford it!

George Bush may think this veto will restore his credentials as a fiscal conservative...but the truth of the matter is that it simply highlights the fact that this President is neither conservative nor compassionate. He is a man driven by political considerations and calculations...and little else. George Bush is a petulant and pompous man who suffers from delusions of divinity. If there is a heaven, he had better hope the Bush family has already purchased a majority ownership. Then again, what would make me think that he doesn't already have the deed in his privileged little paws?

Let's be honest, this President may tell us he supports "no child left behind"...but he lives by a different motto...the one that says, "no Bush left behind".