Bush's 'Let them eat cake' Moment

President Bush yesterday rejected entreaties by his Republican allies that he compromise with Democrats on legislation to renew a popular program that provides health coverage to poor children, saying that expanding the program would enlarge the role of the federal government at the expense of private insurance.
...
"I support the initial intent of the program," Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post after a factory tour and a discussion on health care with small-business owners in Landover. "My concern is that when you expand eligibility . . . you're really beginning to open up an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government."

The 10-year-old program, which is set to expire on Sept. 30, costs the federal government $5 billion a year and helps provide health coverage to 6.6 million low-income children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance on their own.

About 3.3 million additional children would be covered under the proposal developed by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Republican Sens. Charles E. Grassley (Iowa) and Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), among others.

The entire story is here.

College Republican Chickenhawks Tour...

From Max Blumenthal:



Untitled from huffpost and Vimeo.

My First Oshkosh Northwestern Cover...

This was from an April 1993 story on Sears closing in downtown Oshkosh.

I was the cover photo of the OshNW the next day. I had purchased a car sterio for my 1992 Ford Festiva!

I was 19 and a sophmore at UWO.

This was missing for several years, I found it going through some pictures that my grama had put aside.

Sorry about the hair, but remember, grunge was huge at the time!

Vitter, then and now...

From the Center for American Progress:

"I'm not going to answer endless questions about it all over again and again and again and again. That might sell newspapers, but it wouldn't serve my family or my constituents well."
-- Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), 7/16/07, speaking out publicly for the first time about appearing on the D.C. Madam's list

VERSUS

"Some current polls may suggest that people are turned off by the whole Clinton mess and don't care. ... But that doesn't answer the question of whether President Clinton should be impeached and removed from office because he is morally unfit to govern."
-- Vitter, 10/29/98

That is why it matters...

Republican Primary Winner: "None of the Above"

A new poll reveals a clear leader in the Republican presidential race: nobody.

The AP-Ipsos survey shows nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back any of the top candidates -- Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney.

"None of the Above" got 24%, Rudy got 21% and Thompson (Fred) got 19%.

Quote of the Day - Dan Cody Edition:

I could not imagine saying it better (re: the Republican Assembly Budget):

Cutting elderly health care funding so gold bullion dealers can get tax breaks. I can’t wait for the 2008 election cycle to make that point over and over again.

Petri votes to stay the (failed, bloody) course in Iraq

In a press release last week, Rep Petri stated:

By a vote of 223 to 201, the House of Representatives voted late Thursday to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq. Rep. Tom Petri voted against the withdrawal proposal, and has issued the following statement:

I'm concerned that the current debate on Iraq in Congress is driven by domestic politics rather than by sensible foreign policy.

Yes, the situation in Iraq is unsatisfactory, to say the least. But while it's easy to say what isn't working, there seems to be a shortage of solutions that will actually work, and that won't threaten to expand the conflict throughout the entire region.

Rep. Petri, is it sensible to stay involved in (a sample of today's headlines):

Officials report massacre of Shiites in Iraq
Car bomb explodes near Iranian embassy in Baghdad
Two fathers with missing sons, one war
Iraq-bound Guardsman fast-tracks wedding for terminally ill father
29 killed in overnight attack in Iraq
Military Considering bigger Surge
Florida Army reservist asks court to stop 5th overseas deployment
Officials report massacre in Diyala
Triple bombings in northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk kill more than 80 ...

Those were from the last hour on Google alone.

It is time to admit that Iraq is the largest failure in memory and move on. No more sons separated from fathers, no more rushed weddings, no more lonely brides.

No more American lives in a failed, poorly planned experiment.

Rep. Petri, bring our troops home. This isn't about politics, it is about common sense and compassion.