Think Progress

41 days in Iraq vs. insuring 10 million children.

President Bush has threatened to veto legislation renewing and expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The legislation would extend health coverage to as many as 10 million children — four million of whom are currently uninsured. Bush has claimed the SCHIP bill contains “excessive spending,” but in fact, just 41 days of the war in Iraq would fully pay for the coverage:

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Payson Schwin has more.




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27 Responses to “41 days in Iraq vs. insuring 10 million children.”

  1. Marie Says:

    Priorities.


  2. gak Says:

    this is EXACTLY the kind of advertising progressives should be doing. Forget Moveon.org playing the idiotic cult of republicanism games.
    .


  3. Vanthomas Says:

    #2 I whole heartedly agree.Money spent on exposing this fraud and his reasoning for his veto, would be money well spent indeed.


  4. bilbobaggins Says:

    Every time Bush says "we can't afford ____________ (fill in the blank)", the Democrats need to say "why not, we seem to be able to afford to spend 750 million a day on Iraq with no return on investment, so why is that more important than ____________ (fill in the blank).

    The Democrats have a perfect opportunity here. With this and the fact that he is whining about 22 billion in our budget to make things better in this country, they need to hammer home how much Iraq is costing us and that it is "off the books". I suspect that most American's don't understand that the money that is going down that rat hole is an accumulated debt that may come home to roost sooner rather than later.

    The least the Democrats can do is insist that Bush put the money for occupying Iraq into our general budget. Then let him try to explain to the people in this country how we can't afford any governmental services because we have to pay for occupying Iraq without raising taxes (or rescinding the tax cut for the rich).

    I truly think if everyone in this country understood the financial implications of what we are doing in Iraq, we would have been gone by now.


  5. OrdwayCKramer Says:

    Really good add, wish they had a little "source" thing underneath. Anyone know where the numbers came from?


  6. Nevar Says:

    The profit margin on children is nothing compared to what Oily Dick, Halliburton and the weapons industry make on war.


  7. Fan of Man Says:

    What did you expect? Bush IS a FU*KING moron!


  8. Marie Says:

    News items here are shared with the Center for American Progress which is a fairly influential thank tank -- we should petition them to press this kind of comparison on to the Democratic organizations. They need to relentlessly drill holes in the Bush/Republiscum rhetoric.
    I agree with those here who say we must fight them with facts, truth and determination.



  9. barfly Says:

    The next comparison should highlight the amount of money spent on Iraqi infrastructure vs. investment in US infrastructure, with emphasis on first responders and emergency preparedness, to demonstrate the many ways we aren't made"safer" by occupying Iraq.


  10. cha cha cha Says:

    and here's what the 'conservative' position is leading to:

    “Independent voters tilt toward Democrats”

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070923/ap_on_el_ge/irked_independents


  11. The Republic of Stupidity Says:

    Somebody hear a high-pitched, squealing noise in here, kind of like a gerbil w/ its privates caught in a wringer?


  12. had enough Says:

    Let the children die... just so Bush can keep the health care system FOR PROFIT for his corporate insurance buddies. Bush is one giggling murderous sociopath idiot I will never miss. His well deserved bad karma is severely over due.


  13. The Republic of Stupidity Says:

    His well deserved bad karma is severely over due.

    Comment by had enough — September 24, 2007 @ 9:27 pm

    Painfully, it will come down on the whole country...


  14. Doc Rock Says:

    Careful, Duncan Hunter will be coming after you next.


  15. PeeJ Says:

    Well, now that I've "registered" and the Bushies have a record of my e-mail address and have documented me as a hater of America, I guess I might as well have my say.

    You raving liberals just have to be patient. One Halliburton and Cheney have divested in the war machine and put their billions into healthcare, we'll get all the healthcare we want. Hey, whatever happened to the "bird flu"? Oh, that's right, Rummy made a million off it, then retired. See! 'Nuff said.

    Peace! Please?
    PeeJ


  16. Shayne Says:

    Somebody hear a high-pitched, squealing noise in here, kind of like a gerbil w/ its privates caught in a wringer?

    Comment by The Republic of Stupidity — September 24, 2007 @ 9:22 pm

    Oh, that's just Jake.


  17. Uncle Ho Says:

    To demand money for an illegal, unjustified war and stiffing children is not only immoral, but unconscionable.


  18. Lefty Patriot Says:

    The “conservative” position would actually be war in Iraq but ZERO money for STATE CHILDREN HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM.

    The true conservative would never support an unprovoked war of aggression on a nation that bears no threat to the USA. Only a cowardly, ignorant, neocon tool would make such a weak, lame excuse. as to conservatives' disregard of children's health and wellbeing, that's why America was founded as a LIBERAL democracy. Conservatives don't belong here, and should be deported to a country where they're welcome, like North Korea, or Iran. two countries with Conservative value systems.


  19. Candyce Says:

    Still not familiar with Sunshine Anthracite v. Adkins, Mr. lawyer?


  20. Sharon Cox Says:

    What is that smell.?...Oh, I see clean up on #21...We need a troll stink patrol, any one.?..Blessings


  21. Uncle Ho Says:

    comment by Jake D.

    Jake; Some of the troops have your emergency enema ready....a hand grenade.


  22. Mark16_15 Says:

    Like they used to say in the 60s. America: love it or leave it.
    So I left.


  23. Jericho Says:

    Get Bush convicted for war crimes and have his family repay the entire cost of the war to the American public. That is, if you want to be serious about justice and the good of mankind and all. Next time, vote for a hindu!


  24. loretta Says:

    I'm seriously considering doing the same--
    ESPECIALLY IF HILLARY "WINS" THE DEM NOMINATION.


  25. hellinabucket Says:

    If the invasion of Iraq was for National Defense then Jake D. would have an argument. Since there is no evidence to support his view he falls flat on his backside.

    This subject can be a driving force that should be shown at every opportunity.

    Americans taking care of Americans. Not funneling billions out of this country.


  26. kaibast Says:

    He better veto that if it hits his desk. It is full of loopholes allowing adults and families who are not in need of it's benefits to be covered. If you're going to fund a program like this, which in theory is a really good thing, make sure that it actually works! I'm all for a good program.

    This kind of comparison is misleading anyway. I'm not going to comment on my position on the war, because it is irrelevant to this argument, but the fact is we are in a war. It's not like we can just up and quit for 41 days or up and quit all together because we have other things to fund. There is a process that must be completed. All this comparison leads to is riled up humanitarians with nothing else to do but write nasty comments.

    Okay, now I'll get political. Some of you ought to leave this country and hate it from the other side of the line. It's pretty easy to whine in the comfort of your home, but I don't see a whole lot of you heading overseas to join the picket lines over there.



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