House Dems who vote AGAINST SChip!

[annabanana]

We are this close to an override on this Veto. It would be a shame not to let these Dems know that some things are ok, some things are not.

Bush Dog Dems:

Jim Marshall (D-GA)–Washington, D.C. Office [phone]; Macon, GA Office 1-877-464-0255; Tifton, GA Office [phone].

Baron Hill (D-IN)–Washington, D.C. Office [phone]; Jeffersonville, IN Office [phone]; Bloomington, IN Office [phone].

Gene Taylor (D-MS)–Washington, D.C. Office [phone]; Bay St. Louis, MS Office [phone]; Gulfport, MS Office [phone]; Ocean Springs, MS Office [phone]; Hattiesburg, MS Office [phone]; Laurel, MS Office [phone].

Bob Etheridge (D-NC)–Washington, D.C. Office [phone]; Raleigh, NC Office [phone] or 1-888-262-6202; Lillington, NC Office [phone] or 1-866-384-3743.

Mike McIntyre (D-NC)–Washington, D.C. Office [phone]; Lumberton, NC Office [phone]; Fayetteville, NC Office [phone]; Wilmington, NC Office [phone]; Bolivia, NC Office [phone].

Here's a useful "action page":http://openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1791

[Justitia]

1. Why do Bush's Poodles hate sick kids? -eom

[Clark2008]

3. I dunno - why do Democrats just want to beat Bush even when

the bill in question is flawed?

Why do you want to use sin taxes to fund this when everyone should be funding it? Keep taxing "sins" and, eventually, you'll have no one to tax and the program goes out the window.

[cali]

4. Flawed? LOL!

What the fuck isn't flawed? You must be a true Panglossian. Yes, it's flawed; it also provides health insurance for millions of kids. That it doesn't include legal immigrant children is sad, but politics truly is the art of the possible. It truly does take compromise on many issues to move forward and accomplish ANYTHING positive. One great example of this is Bernie Sanders.

I have no use for those who are so pure that anything short of perfect is a deal with the devil. Screw that. Truer words than these were never spoken:

The perfect IS the enemy of the good.

[Clark2008]

41. Umm.... I meant that it only taxes a dwindling group of people.

Which means, as that product gets more and more expensive, people will either quit, or, more likely, resort to purchasing said product on the black market, thus leaving the SCHIP program largely unfunded.

In other words, you don't know what the hell you were talking about.

I didn't even MENTION illegal immigrants. I mentioned the people who would be taxed. :wtf:

[Justitia]

5. I want sick kids to have access to healthcare. If we can dump billions every week into a pointless

military adventure blowing shit up around the globe, then we can afford to look after our own sick kids at home.

Frankly, I don't give a flying fuck how they fund it, they just need to get the goddamned thing passed.

[Tesla]

6. 40 days in Iraq would pay for the bill

[Clark2008]

42. Fine - then have EVERYONE fund it, not a dwindling

sub-group.

That's just fiscal common sense.

[Justitia]

44. Sounds great. Let's actually get a bill passed first, then we can alternate the funding - okay?

But we won't get ANYTHING for these kids if we don't pass SOMETHING.

Remember the Fed Gov't can find the money, no matter what effect tobacco taxes have, it won't hurt SCHIP.

I mean, where exactly is all the money for Halliburton, Blackwater, etc., etc. coming from?

[Clark2008]

47. From everyone.

I think it should have been reworked to come from income taxes, myself. Everyone pays them except for the truly poor who would most benefit from this program.

[Justitia]

49. Great. But do you agree we should get the bill passed first? Like we did with Medicare? -eom

[Clark2008]

45. Does it matter that they're funding it on the back of people

who are dwindling by the day or who will resort in purchasing their tobacco on the black market, thus leaving the fund largly unfunded?

I'm all for the SCHIP program and, like you, I'd rather they use some of that defense budget, which we all contribute to, but I don't see the point in funding it by taxing one product, a product which is not necessary and, therefore, doesn't have to be purchased - or (more likely) will be purchased overseas online so that state and federal taxes can be avoided.

One can only tax one product so much before we reach the point of diminishing returns. Hell, that's basic economics.

[Justitia]

48. That argument does not hold water, sorry. SCHIP will never go unfunded because tobacco taxes dry up

That dog won't hunt.
Find some other reason to vote against giving 10 million kids access to healthcare.

If you are really concerned with this smoke & mirrors argument, read up on the actual bill, read up on the state/national collection of gas/tobacco taxes, and then, most importantly, read up on how we passed & funded historical programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

It will allay your fears completely.

There is absolutely NO GOOD REASON our children should be denied this coverage - NOT ONE.

[SparkyMac]

8. Get it passed first ...

..and then worry about how it is funded. You make a good point that it shouldn't rely on sin taxes. Maybe after next election we can fund it out of general revenue. But we must get it passed or lose it altogether.

[Maestro]

2. Thanks.

I "dugg" the story to try to bring more attention to it.

[cali]

7. Has Dennis Kucinich said he'll vote to override?

His reason for opposing SCHIP was very different from the 5 on your list, but I hope he's committed to vote to override a veto.

[MH1]

33. Shhhh...we're not allowed to talk about that.

"DK's reason is pure, so leave him alone!"

:banghead:

[Zandor]

9. Disgraceful

Hard to consider these folks Democrats.

[Eurobabe]

10. They can vote for war funds, but not sick kids? WTF?

:spank:

[Joanne98]

11. I like Gene Taylor! Remember when he called the insurance companies..

child molesters? I wonder why he's voting against. That's too bad!

[mmonk]

12. The bill needs to cover legal immigrant children in this country.

[Mass]

14. True, but this is NOT why these people do not support the bill.

Kucinich has apparently said that he would vote to override the veto.

The people who are against that are those from tobacco states. At this point, the discussion is not whether immigrant kids will get S-CHIP (we already lost this battle), but whether or not native kids will get it. I am all for supporting S-CHIP for all kids or even better for single-payer healthcare, but this is not what this battle is about.

[mmonk]

18. Made no claims. I don't support it for it's discriminatory features.

[Mass]

21. So, it would be better to let all kids without medical care? Good for you.

Happy to see Kucinich disagree and will vote to override the veto.

[mmonk]

25. Straw dog.

I'm actually one of those for a national system. Who's going to be discriminated against in future bills? The learning disabled?

[Mass]

28. So, you will be apparently satisfied if the veto is not overriden.

This actually will mean that less kids will get healthcare, because the House will negotiate for LESS care, not MORE. For 2 reps who voted NO to get the bill better, many others voted NO to get the bill worse. But, I guess that makes you happy, because you think these people all of a sudden will want more.

I totally agree with Kucinich's vote, but, at some point, something has to be voted. If you care about people, that is.

[mmonk]

30. I think accepting discrimination at this point is a bad idea.

People only think of themselves. When one is discriminated against so the majority of others can receive something of value, we all lose in the long run. Let's appeal to our better natures.

[Mass]

32. While just a few may die in the short run...

[cali]

35. The perfect is the enemy of the good. n/t

[Justitia]

39. I'm damn glad you weren't around when Medicare got passed. Or Medicaid. Or Social Security.

Which were all programs that were greatly expanded once we got the damn things passed.

[MH1]

34. That's good news about DK - where'd you hear it?

Do you have a link?

I don't think he should have voted against it in the first place but if he votes to override, I might be able to get over it.

[cali]

16. So, they just should scrap expanding SCHIP

to millions of children because they don't have the votes to include legal immigrant children? And don't even start with the garbage that not having the votes is not a valid reason. In this case, it absolutely is. Yes, it's a shame that the votes are not there, but politics is largely about the art of the possible. Get this through and THEN add illegal immigrant children.

[mmonk]

20. Yes.

It needs modification.

[Mass]

23. Happy to see Kucinich disagrees with you. And the guys who are listed here are against it

because of tobacco taxes.

[cali]

27. I'm beginning to accrue a fair amount of contempt

for those willing to sacrifice millions of children for their own purer than thou ideology.

Thank goodness, Dennis' vote against it was merely symbolic.

[Justitia]

40. Me too. They're assholes, no matter which way you cut it. Stupid too. -eom

[lateo]

13. Hmmm. I'm really surprised by Gene Taylor's vote.

I have a lot of respect for him.

[Mass]

15. Tobacco states?

[lateo]

46. huh?

[Mass]

50. Taylor is voting against it because he comes from a tobacco state and opposes

the tobacco taxes.

[lateo]

51. I wasn't aware that Mississippi was a tobacco state.

Lived there most of my life and I know Gene Taylor personally.

[Mass]

52. Here - Taylor voted against it because of the tobacco tax.

http://public.cq.com/docs/cqt/news110-000002593637.html

Persuading those eight Democrats and Watson to vote to override Bush is one thing. One of them, Gene Taylor of Mississippi, said, “I’ll listen,” if Democratic leaders come looking for his vote. Taylor said he voted against the bill because of a tobacco tax increase that he feels would fall too heavily on the poor.
...

He said it himself. Not a word about universal healthcare or immigrant children.

[lateo]

53. Tobacco "use" tax not from growing tobacco.

This is a tax increase in people who use tobacco not people who grow it.

[Mass]

54. Whatever!

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. You forgot Kucinich, who voted against the bill as well:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll906.xml

[Mass]

19. This is NOT about who voted against the bill, but who will NOT vote to override the veto,

[Freddie Stubbs]

22. Has he stated that he will vote for the override?

:shrug:

[progressoid]

26. Huh?

So this is just a pissing match with the President? SCHIP is just a vehicle to win a battle?

The OP says it's about voting against SCHIP. NOT about the veto.

[Mass]

29. This is about overriding the veto, so that the bill can pass.

Not a pissing match, a death and life issue for some kids.

[cali]

24. Someone upthread just wrote that Dennis will vote to override

the veto- and in my book that lets him off the hook. And the reason he voted against it (one I don't agree with) was that it didn't cover illegal immigrant children. Slightly different from those listed in the OP.

[Freddie Stubbs]

31. Good. Now he will be able to say he voted against it before he voted for it

[MH1]

36. Without any change to the bill.

Making that a whole lot different than the context of Kerry's infamous statement.

[Freddie Stubbs]

38. Good thing the Republicans won't be able to hammer Kucinich on that in the general election

[BlackVelvet04]

37. Good luck getting North Carolina

representatives to vote for a bill that taxes tobacco so heavily.

Hopefully the veto will not be overridden.

[Justitia]

43. So, you are against giving 10 million kids access to healthcare because you're PRO TOBACCO? -eom

[BlackVelvet04]

56. No, I'm not against 10 million kids getting access to

health care. I am against it being funded solely by tobacco taxes. I don't mind a small tax increase on tobacco as long as there is an equal tax on other things to fund the health care.

And the reality is that North Carolina depends heavily on tobacco for it's revenue so it's congressman aren't going to vote for a large tax increase on tobacco.

[superkia]

55. Im glad my children will be covered under this.

Fuck the children who aren't covered! Sometimes things cant be perfect so if someone has to be shit on so others can benefit at least its not my children, so who cares.:sarcasm:

What a country!