On Oct. 17, President Bush explained that he vetoed Congress’s SCHIP expansion because the White House wasn’t “dialed in in the beginning.” But as The New York Times reports, the White House was heavily involved, but unwilling to compromise:
Senator Hatch tried to bring White House officials into the negotiations, believing their involvement would produce a better bill. But, lawmakers said, the administration did not want to discuss the child health program except as part of a broader discussion that included the president’s tax proposals. [...]
But after checking their calendars, lawmakers said they and their aides had had more than 35 meetings and telephone conversations on the issue with [administration officials] Mr. Hubbard, Mr. Hennessey and Ms. Goon from January through September.
I'm shocked. Just shocked. Bush lied? Bush lied about S-CHIP? Say it isn't so.
November 4th, 2007 at 10:14 pmi'm even more shocked that Orrin "Pinky Ring" Hatch tried to do something good.
November 4th, 2007 at 10:29 pmMs. Goon. - - Just a guess here, but would that be Ms. Bush?
November 4th, 2007 at 10:31 pmalso notice how the story is titled Missteps on Both Sides Led to Health Bill Veto...& then details how all the fault lies with the WH.
November 4th, 2007 at 10:31 pmGoon? Wow, I thought my mom had it bad growing up in the 50s with a name like Coon (anglicized from Kuhn).
November 4th, 2007 at 10:33 pmthe title Missteps on Both Sides Led to Health Bill Veto is meant to make you think the "sides" are repubs vs dems...but when you read the article, the "sides" are the White House vs Congress.
November 4th, 2007 at 10:35 pmanyone here really give a shit? seems like all you guys want to do is play the blame game. there's legislation that you can vote on right now that could actually change the system. But you guys like having someone to blame don't you.
"It's Bush's fault"
no actually it's your fault for not feverishly passing around
ni4d.us
so that we can get a hold of our government and change the syytem to where we actually get a say in how our government does business.
but you're not doing it. cuz you like having a scape goat. I'm so ashamed of my liberal base for playing the same games the cons play. truly I am.
November 4th, 2007 at 10:50 pmComment by old_hack — November 4, 2007 @ 10:50 pm
Yeah, Gravel walks on water.
November 4th, 2007 at 11:01 pmi thought he was a ronpaul fanatic...
"my liberal base" ??? ... uh huh...
nite all...
November 4th, 2007 at 11:04 pmThe real question is, can the wealthy and powerfull walk the line carefully enough to keep the masses from erupting in an armed revolution?
Perhaps all they're playing for is enough time to have the weaponry and mechanisms in place to make an armed revolution impossible, or, at the very least, so containable as to not affect their interests.
Health care for children? Unimportant...unless the child is one of the ruling class.
Global Warming? Unimportant. The ruling class has enough money to buy new sea front properties.
The voices of the Progressives? Unimportant. If we were, we'd be imprisoned or dead by now.
November 4th, 2007 at 11:06 pmimpeach Cheney... anyone interested?
November 4th, 2007 at 11:22 pmImpeachment is Coming to the House Floor on Nov. 6
Congressman Dennis Kucnich, whose bill to impeach Cheney has 22 sponsors, will introduce a resolution on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6.
What if everyone actually did get off their butt and called congress, 202 225-3121, demanding this get some attention?
King George's definition of compromise: My way or the highway, and don't let the door hit you on the way out!
November 4th, 2007 at 11:35 pmNothing new of Bush's lies. This is business as usual at the Legion of Doom formally known as the White House.
November 4th, 2007 at 11:59 pmComment by Briseadh na Faire — November 4, 2007 @ 11:06 pm
The chances for armed revolution are very small, I think. More likely, the government and the ruling class will simply offer enough "incentives" to appease the masses -- but not solve the real problems -- and we'll quietly go back to sleep.
November 5th, 2007 at 12:13 amThis whole SCHIP thing isn't playing well for reThugs, here comes the US state controlled media to the White Houses rescue.
November 5th, 2007 at 12:45 amLefty Patriot
I'm as liberal as they come
November 5th, 2007 at 1:13 amBush lies about everything. Except his threats to start unjustified wars.
November 5th, 2007 at 4:43 amI’m as liberal as they come
Comment by old_hack — November 5, 2007 @ 1:13 am
Concern troll.
November 5th, 2007 at 4:44 amBush's idea of bipartison co-operation is; "I decide, Congress rubber-stamps."
November 5th, 2007 at 7:43 amBush is a liar and the dems should NEVER compromise with a republican. They (R) all OBSTRUCTIONISTS!
November 5th, 2007 at 7:55 am' “I was told last January or February by Democrats that their game plan was to send the president a bill that was too big to swallow, and it would be a beautiful political issue for them,†Mr. Hubbard said. '
Democrats shared their gameplan with a member of the White House staff????? This doesn't seem likely to me.
I agree with FanofMan. This White House and the Republicans have never negotiated in good faith. They've changed the paradigm and we must readjust our tactics.
After the debacle of the 2000 election, did anyone think that Bush would refuse to negotiate as he did? The conventional wisdom was that the election was so close that he'd have to build consensus through compromise. BUT HE NEVER DID. He "refused to negotiate with himself", and with a Congress that shut-out all bipartisanship, he forced through a radical agenda of disasterous tax cuts which eliminated the budget surplus and created record-breaking deficits and national debt.
Now, the country is suffering from his disasterous policies, but the Democrats are stuck trying to compromise. And still, there is no negotiation.
It is time to stop trying appeasement; we should pull out the big guns. It is time to start impeachment proceedings. There has never been such an open and shut case. We need to make the case, and then punish those who vote against it.
November 5th, 2007 at 8:17 amSince the Chimperor took office, it's been nothing but Lies (see; 9/11) , Media-Control, Ethnic Cleansing in the Middle East, Huge Profits for the Military Industrial Complex, Destroying the Constitution : basically destroying this country and making the super-rich (the have-mores) even more wealthy beyond belief.
November 5th, 2007 at 8:55 amalso notice how the story is titled Missteps on Both Sides Led to Health Bill Veto…& then details how all the fault lies with the WH.
What do you expect from the "liberal" media?
November 5th, 2007 at 8:59 amComment by Extraiga a Gringos de mi tierra — November 5, 2007 @ 9:02 am
-----
$5 says this is a con troll trying to make some "librulz support illegals" point.
If not... Sweety, SCHIP should be expanded, but only for US citizens and those that are here legally. Consider it a benefit of membership.
November 5th, 2007 at 10:45 am"$5 says this is a con troll trying to make some “librulz support illegals†point."
we have a winner!
November 5th, 2007 at 11:23 amthey had to take a new angle on the SCHIP debate since hiding in people's bushes and smearing 12-year-olds didn't work out so well.