Bush’s War on His Own Party
He did it this morning, without comment or news coverage, an act that proves George Bush to be, depending on your politics, either the most steadfast or stubborn, the most principled or heartless of American Presidents in memory.
But there is common agreement in Congress that, by vetoing the bipartisan bill that would have dramatically expanded children’s health insurance, a lame duck Head of State has committed the most politically selfish act since Louis XV proclaimed, “Apres moi, le deluge†before the French Revolution.
Now Congressional Republicans, facing a guillotine at the ballot box in 2008, are scrambling to limit the damage. Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott talks bravely about a “compromise†with an Administration that takes no prisoners.
The Senate has enough votes to override, but House Minority Whip Roy Blunt is “absolutely confident” that the House will be able to sustain Bush’s veto as Democrats keep trying to convince more than a dozen members on the other side of the aisle to switch their position.
If not, Nancy Pelosi can start practicing her knitting for the role of Madame DeFarge, as Republican incumbents go by on their way to the tumbrel in the George Bush revival of “A Tale of Two Cities†next fall.
Cross-posted from my blog. More on the S-CHIP bill that Bush vetoed here.
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8 Responses to “Bush’s War on His Own Party”
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Typical Bush. Bad political move, bad move for the people of the US, but he’s sticking to his guns. Our president doesn’t understand international or domestic issues, and I really hope the GOP gets a mauling in ’08 because of it. Hopefully will instill some valuable lessons in their leadership for when they get back in control.
He waited more than 6 years to stand on principle. Of course the fact that his own party is now out of power has nothing to do with it, sarcasm off! Its too easy for him to veto a bill when Democrats are in the majority.
Let’s be honest- if he believed in the principle, he’d never have signed his Medicare prescription program, which is an even bigger step towards socialized medicine.
He no longer has any credibility on this issue with less than 14 months left before the ’08 election. But I do agree that he is taking the Republican party down with him. Five Republican Senators and about as many Representatives are not even running for re-election.
If the Dems are smart, they’ll first try for an override, and if that fails, they should revise the bill and expand coverage to children only (not also to adults). Then at least they and the Hyperventilators Against Bush will be honest for a change.
If they wish to be “bold” (what the hyperventilators have demanded about Iraq, for example), why don’t they introduce a bill to provide Medicare to all children or even push the Conyers-Kucinich bill through to provide Medicare for everybody? (Kucinich voted no on the bill.)
Sam,
The Republicans are not going to get back in power. The real legacy of President Bush is that he will probably be the last Republican President and his incompetence will probably end up destroying the Republican Party.
The real quesiton should be who wins and who loses when the U.S. becomes a one party state.
True. It is the largest entitlement increase to date.
There’s something else you should know. In at least one instance, the Bush Administration in the past has permitted S-CHIP to cover childless adults, one of the things I dislike about the current bill because this program was meant to help poor children.
“Bush sees the legislation as a backdoor move toward government-run health care, but committee Republicans Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah and Pat Roberts of Kansas said in a July 11 letter to Bush that the issue that most concerns him — the use of SCHIP to cover adults — is partly his fault. Under Bush’s watch, the department of Health and Human Services has approved 12 waivers to states allowing SCHIP coverage of adults, records show, including a waiver issued May 24 allowing Wisconsin to cover parents earning up to twice the poverty level.”
That doesn’t merit this bill, given that the crowd-out problem is a serious issue. And it’s not just about children — it’s time for more honesty from Congress and proponents of S-CHIP.
“The Republicans are not going to get back in power. ”
Oh don’t be silly, of course they will. Just like all my democrat friends were whining they would never call the shots again in ’03 and ’04. It always goes in cycles.
SD- Not to worry! My prediction is that Jeb will follow Hillary in 2016, and salvage the party and the Bush family legacy! Its W’s only shot. By 2024, Chelsea should be gearing up to follow in her mother’s footsteps.