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Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen


10.17.2007

 

Who's he talking to?

With a U.S. House vote pending to override the Bush veto of the re-authorization and expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent out a last-minute letter he hoped would be published quickly. It made the case for the veto.

Here's what Brian Golden argued in the email I received late Tuesday:

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is an important program that President Bush wants to see renewed. SCHIP provides health care for children in families living below 200 percent of the poverty level, but who do not qualify for Medicaid.

But many in Congress want SCHIP to become a radically different program, one that provides public assistance not just to the neediest of American children but to middle-class children, many of whom already have private insurance. President Bush rejected Congress’s massive expansion of SCHIP because it is bad for America’s health care system.

The President has made clear his commitment to ensuring that no children currently on SCHIP lose their coverage and that all those eligible can be enrolled. But the program should remain focused on those who need it most. It was not created for adults, it was not created for children who already have health insurance, it was not created for affluent families – it was created for poor children.


Congress knew the President would not sign the bill they sent him. But scoring political points – instead of passing meaningful legislation – was the priority on Capitol Hill. Now it’s time to get something done.

My point in sharing this is to wonder why Golden bothered to send a letter like this to Vermont? Who was he trying to reach? The state's congressional delegation is committed to the SCHIP program -- not surprising since they are two Democrats and an independent. But more politically interesting is the fact that Republican Gov. Jim Douglas also supports the program and thinks the president is wrong.

As to Golden's accusation that this was all about scoring political points -- DUH! -- but members of Congress aren't the only players in the game.

-- Nancy Remsen

Comments:
Brian Golden is a conservative Catholic Democrat from Boston who strongly opposed John Kerry over abortion and worked in Mitt Romney's Administration. In other words, his job is to be a flack (aka "communicator") for Bush.

http://www.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/golden200410270819.asp
 
Alright!!! A "Catholic"!!! I suspected some evil intent here! Just another right-wing plot to place us under the rule of the Vatican.
 
Bubba,
Please be coherent.
Thanks,
BBL
 
"but to middle-class children"

Just what is "middle class"?
 
There is no middle class in Vermont
 
I think there is a relatively small middle class in Vermont.

But what I see are a LOT of idle rich from other states and a lot of working class and poor people. Historically, the middle class in the US is the glue that holds things together. In Vermont it seems to be going away because Vermont is unaffordable. And the wealthy flatlanders -- do they give a shit that the middle class is disappearing? I don't think they do.
 
Politicians don't seem to care either.
 
As long as they have their gourmet coffee shops, they're happy.
 
Exactly -- they can sit in the gourmet coffee shop, while everyone else is at work, and sip their $2.50 lattes, and talk about how to help poor people in Vermont.
 
the assault on the Middle Class is a national problem
 
Those coffee shops are also full of people living off the system.
 
I was just in a coffee shop this weekend and it was so full of fat cats plotting their next assault on the middle class I could hardly get my latte!

Get real! Rather than pretending you are a victim, take charge of your life and go live the American Dream. Get an education. Take some risks. Work hard and make your fortune. You too can be a cahrdonnay sipping fat cat if you put your mind to it. The best I can tell is that hard work and commitment still get recognized and rewarded well. Mediocrity and malcontents get marginalized.

Which do you choose to be?
 
Here, here!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
"Mediocrity and malcontents get marginalized."

Or get put in government . . .
 
"Or get put in government . . ."

elected by?
 
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