Tell Us Why, Mr. Bush

Dick Meyer Detects An Aroma Of Hypocrisy In Dustup Over Funding Of Health Program For Children

(CBS)  This commentary was written by CBSNews.com's Dick Meyer.

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Having already proven its incompetence in foreign and fiscal affairs, and its arrogance toward the Constitution and the other branches of government, the Bush administration is now determined to show skeptics that it can also be absolutely hypocritical.

A very experienced colleague suggested to me the other day that President Bush is determined not to squander his historic unpopularity. He's going to use it to do whatever the hell he wants because he just doesn't seem to care much anymore.

That seems to be the case with the issue of providing health insurance for poor children.

You may have heard there is a scrap about this now in Congress, or rather, between Congress and the president.

Democrats and Republicans a decade ago managed to get their acts together long enough to enact a program called the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The idea was to get coverage for otherwise uninsured children in very low income families with earnings too high to qualify for Medicaid. Today, about 6.6 million children benefit from this program.

On September 30th, SCHIP will expire. So, once again, Democrats and Republicans need to do something that is really, really hard for them: take action. They need to renew the program.

President Bush is reluctantly willing to renew SCHIP with an increase of $5 billion over the next five years. That is probably not even enough to insure the children who already get benefits.

Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee want to increase funding for SCHIP by $35 billion over five years. House Democrats want a $50 billion boost. The bipartisan National Governors Association also wants an increase much larger than $5 billion, but doesn't want to get into a catfight.

Why won't the president go along with a real increase? Excellent question.

What he says is that a big increase would be the "beginning of the salvo of the encroachment of the federal government on the health care system."

Huh?

This is the president whose proudest domestic achievement was extending Medicare to cover prescription drugs, one of the biggest "encroachments of the federal government on the health care system" in American history. Honestly, it is mind-boggling that the president could say this.

And I might add that this is the president who engineered the largest federal invasion of public education in history.

But it gets worse. It also gets a little complicated, so stick with me for a second.

House Democrats want to fund an increase for SCHIP by reducing the federal subsidy for a program called Medicare Advantage that pays tax dollars to HMOs to give health insurance to seniors. It's an alternative to Medicare. The idea behind Medicare Advantage was that since large private bureaucracies are so much smarter than large public bureaucracies, it would be cheaper to pay HMOs to cover some seniors than doing it through Medicare.

Wrong.

The government now pays HMOs between 112 and 119 percent of what it costs to cover a person on Medicare. So if it costs the government $100 to cover Sadie Sickly of Illness, Ohio, the government will pay Selfless HMO Inc. $119 to take Mrs. Sickly off their hands. Selfless HMO Inc. – and lots of real life HMOs – make a boatload of money off Medicare Advantage because of this government subsidy.

The Congressional Budget Office thinks that 119 percent subsidy could be cut, and HMOs would still make money and patients would still get good services. So House Democrats want to reduce the government subsidy for HMOs to help pay for an increase in SCHIP funding. Pretty straightforward.

HMOs – surprise, surprise – do not want that Medicare Advantage subsidy to be cut. Neither does President Bush. He thinks the free market is so cool that it should be subsidized by the government.

You see, he doesn't want the government encroaching on the health care system, so he's going take your tax dollars and give them to HMOs so they can encroach on the health care system.

The Senate Finance Committee thinks an increase in SCHIP could be paid for by increasing the tax on cigarettes. The president doesn't like that, either. He's an anti-encroachment guy. Except for HMOs. And prescription drugs.

Snarky and cynical people think the president is simply doing the bidding of tobacco and HMOs. I have no way to know what his motivations are, but I don't think he's just kowtowing to special interests. I think it's more likely he just doesn't want to do something that Democrats and poor people think is important.

Or maybe he has new evidence that the children who qualify for SCHIP are trying to obtain Weapons of Mass Destruction. A source close to the administration told me that.

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E-mail questions, comments, complaints, arguments and ideas to
Against the Grain. We will publish some of the interesting (and civil) ones, sometimes in edited form.

[mrhoppy-2009]

Insurance companies produce no product other than financial slavery of the poor and profits for the rich. They were once illegal in America and for good reason, they are parasites on humanity.

I strongly object to my tax dollars going to insurance companies. We used to have hospitals owned by the city and they were affordable. Seattle still has one (Harborview)and it is the best in the Northwest.

I am for universal health care but opposed to insurance companies skimming and price fixing.

If our attorney generals and insurance regulators were not part of the problem, we would have affordable health care.

[tomtomasters]

Insurance Companies are next to one of the biggest frauds in history, especially when they use the education system to promote people toward making careers into the medical field, then turn around and downsize hospital staff, and close hospitals.
President Bush being worried about a big increase would be the "beginning of the salvo of the encroachment of the federal government on the health care system," gives new meaning to what style or system the federal military seems to be referred to by the President, as they reap the greatest encroachment of money program siphoning from the public in all of US history. Bush has polyops on his brain, giving money to murder but nothing for care.

[redfiveuk]

How does the saying go - The Rich get Richer and the Poor get Poorer or should that be nothing - Wow isn't democray great.

[cbs_oliver]

What a wonderful article!

Thanks Mr. Meyer.

[jjp735i]

Bush is gone in 18 months, but it will take years to undo the damage he has done to the country.

Bush is more worried about what history will say about him than he is of the people he is supposed to make sure are taken care of.

[truthspeake2]

Bush never cared about this country or its people. He was allowed to be put into power for basically two reasons; 1) To oversee the takeover of an oil rich country, and 2) To further divide the masses and strip away our civil and constitutional rights. It appears that he and his administration has overwhelmingly succeeded at accomplishing both of these objectives. What's really scary is that the American people has seemingly gracefully accepted all this. If Americans don't wake up, this country will certainly go the way of the Roman Empire and its just a matter of time.

[mrhoppy-2009]

Everybody in America need to know about the HFMA (Healthcare Financial Management Association)

They operate as a non profit in all 50 states and bring together Insurance, health care, legal, collection and finance for "training" under one roof.

This is the white collar crime syndicate with a secret membership list that has organized the high cost of medicine in America. In Oregon, they are listed as a "Non Profit Family Farm Cooperative" with the State of Oregon. I guess they grow money trees...

Our worthless attorney general hardy Meyers and corrupt politicians give them tax benefits, liability protection and anything else they want.

At OHSU, they got a 50 million dollar sky tram to take the doctors to their cushy high rise on the river so they don't have to drive their $250,000 car down a hill.

Providence Milwaukie is even more corrupt than OHSU. They charged me $6000 for 9 stiches in my hand, gave me an infection after not cleaning all the metal out of the wound, gave me no antibiotic, then the wrong antibiotic (even though they were warned in writing that I was antibiotic resistant), billed me for the right antibiotic to cover up for the malpractice and now are billing me for another $1000.00 for the infection they gave me after they didn't clean out all the metal from the wound.

Who loses and who wins? Everybody on the HFMA side wins and we lose.

[bluestardad]

CONFRONT THEM! NO ONE IS REPORTING THIS!

THEY BLOCKED FUNDING FOR WALTER REED!

Here are a list of the Republican Senators up for Reelection in 08.

Ask them how much their support for the Israeli lobby group AIPAC influences their vote on Iraq?

Is their support for Israel more than their duty to the Americans living in their states?

Democrats do it too! Carl Levin and Steny Hoyer are two!


Alexander, Lamar- (R - TN)
Allard, Wayne- (R - CO)
Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA)
Cochran, Thad- (R - MS)
Coleman, Norm- (R - MN)
Collins, Susan M.- (R - ME)
Cornyn, John- (R - TX)
Craig, Larry E.- (R - ID)
Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC)
Enzi, Michael B.- (R - WY)
Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC)
Hagel, Chuck- (R - NE)
Inhofe, James M.- (R - OK)
McConnell, Mitch- (R - KY)
Roberts, Pat- (R - KS)
Sessions, Jeff- (R - AL)
Smith, Gordon H.- (R - OR)
Stevens, Ted- (R - AK)
Sununu, John E.- (R - NH)
Warner, John- (R - VA)



If you think Americas sacrifice is worth it contact your ELECTED OFFICIAL and tell them http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

The House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

[e-mail] Here is the Republican Party email address too!

[e-mail] Here is the Democratic Party email address also!

[gavrielle4]

"President Bush. He thinks the free market is so cool that it should be subsidized by the government."


That's brilliant.

[soldat44]

What a wonderful article!

Thanks Mr. Meyer.
Posted by CBS_Oliver at 08:01 AM : Jul 26, 2007

+1 !

Thank you Mr. Meyer for speaking from your heart and mind. It's an outstanding article. For Bush it's okay to pump $700 billion into Iraq and Afgan for the last 5 years but he doesn't want to put $50 billion in our health care system for the poorest children in our nation. I have a question for our "Decider", would God abandon his children for oil?

[donteplays]

Many question Michael Moore, but I think he got across a very valid point in his movie "Sicko." Universal health care in the good ol US of A may be as distant as flying cars, but if we as voting Americans select the right people with OUR best interest in mind, then our country may someday return to prosperity....ah, optimism..you have to love it...

[gkc99]

We all know who owns Bushit and his corrupt administration. Anyone with a billion dollars.

But why the lickspittle Congress doesn't stop him is the question. Sure they are not veto proof. But do no Repubs even have a conscience?

Or are all Repubs just spineless little suckups, or wetting their pants in fear of the mean ogre Darth Chickenshit?

[cruzn66]

Well, its just one more example of Mr. Bush's "Shaft America" plan. History has shown us that King George II of England had lost his mind during his reign, maybe it's time for this King George to have a mental checkup as well as a physical. How is it, that in a free society, we have given so much power to one person, then allowed him to abuse it in such blatant manner? And yet he still finds support from others who share his views, which are so detrimental to the country as a whole. Someone needs to come to their senses soon, for the sleeping giant of public outrage is growing and that outrage will consume both good and bad. I remember the 1960's, and the storm is coming!

[briannorwood]

Don't ya just love that compassionate conservatism!

Yer doin a heckuva job Dumbya!

[pugster]

Bush and those wacky 'pro-life' Republicans were up at arms about letting the human vegetable Terry Schiavo to die. However they don't seem to have a problem letting an ordinary American who needed a medical treatment die who otherwise have lived because it cost the HMO money.

[mrhoppy-2009]

@ gkc99 - you asked "But why the lickspittle Congress doesn't stop him is the question."

The answer is simple. Congress is largely made up of perverts and criminals. That is how they are controlled and made to do the bidding of the Zionist Ashkenazi Jews that control D.C. on behalf of the central banks.

Google "Rusty Nelson Hunter Thompson Larry king Senator John DeCamp" And start reading. Rusty Nelson was arrested in Oregon by the FBI within a few days of Hunters "suicide."

Rusty had half a van load of photos of prominent people having *** with mostly children. Rusty earned his living for 30 years by secretly shooting the photos. They were planning to make a documentary together.

A former Senator from Nebraska represented some of the children from the Monarch program that are used in these honey traps and won their case in US court.

The CIA didn't exactly release the "crown Jewels" but they did admit that 6% of their total budget went to mind control studies. Many of the children used were abducted from Boys and Girls Town USA in Omaha, programmed in Project Monarch. These are facts that were proven in a US court in Omaha.

Now you know how business is done in Washington D.C. Money is not the currency of trade, it's blackmail through honey and it ensures complete control.

Read em and weep:
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/franklincoverupexcerpt.shtml

[mrhoppy-2009]

I forgot to mention -

*** Meyer, you just removed yourself from the list of people I think should be imprisoned for life or hung for treason after writing a truthful and well written article. :-)

Keep em coming ***! We need a free press in this country more than ever. The forth branch of government surrendered decades ago and that is when this country actually went down the tube.

The press should deserves most of the credit or wrath, depending on whether we get control of this crime syndicate or lose America all together.

If we have to do it the hard way, it will be real messy and nobody wants that. Nobody. I love my country and I want it back.

[omega39-2009]

Really, would anyone expect anything less from the man destined to be viewed by history as the worst president ever?

[rushlimpdrug]

I hope CBs can initiate a free and independent press that benefits AMERICA and AMERICANS rather than politicians.
-those of us that care have put up with fluff krap that news outlets feed us.
-responsible journalism is appreciated by Americans.
-who knows it may even be profitable.

[melcarnahan]

An increase in SCHIP could be paid for by increasing the tax on cigarettes or gasoline or by making the no-bid Bushie Bush Pioneer cronies pay back what they looted from the treasury.

Big Government Bush with his thousands of pork-barrel highway earmarks must be stopped to protect the children from Bush.

[drummer94]

And we all thought that shrub was a loony-toon! A maroon. A chimp. A moron. all the rest of the adjectives. Turns out, he found a new way to rip off the American people. By ripping off LITTLE American people. No victories for America, no shame for George Bush.

[mcdonaj3]

As long as we are subsidizing millionaire, corporate, farmers, I see no reason not to subsidize rich corporations. That's how Washington works. Only the taxpayer gets screwed and since 50% of them don't bother to vote, we get what we ask for!

[samrensho]

This is the real down side sometimes to having lame duck presidents. When you get a malicious, incompetent loser in office, like the shrub, they do what they want with impunity and to hell with the electorate. Congress will do nothing to restrain them because they are just waiting their turn at the money trough.

[blessed_usa]

SO MY QUESTION IS............ HOW MANY OF YOU PUT HIM IN OFFICE?

[v_1618]

PRESIDENT BUSH IS THE MOST BETTER PRESIDENT EVER HE JUST TOOK OFFICE IN THE WRONG MOMENT OR THE WORST MOMENT IN THE U.S. HISTORY THATS FOR SURE. I THINK THE PEOPLE IN CONGRESS DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT DEMOCRACY MEENS WELL PEOPLE LET'S SEE THE FIRST LESSON OF DEMOCRACY.. LESSON 1-. IF THE UNITED STATES GETS ATTACKED WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS THE RESPONSIBLE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE UNITED STATES WENT TO ALL THE CHIPS IN POKER TERMS IN THE IRAQ WAR THAT MEENS IF THE UNITED STATES DON'T WIN THIS WAR THE UNITED STATES GETS ***** IT'S OVER THE U.S. WILL BE DESTROYED WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS...SO THE PEOPLE OF THE CONGRESS HAS TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND SHUT UP THEIR MOUTHS BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT A HELL IS GOING ON IN THE MIDDLE EAST IF THE U.S. GET OUT FROM IRAQ THE U.S. GETS *****.. WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS INSIDE THE UNITED STATES.

[gkc99]

Why? It's no secret that Bushit is bought and paid for. Everything is for sale under the Bushit / Chickenshit administration.

Insurance companies are very rich, very well heeled. United paid its CEO about $250,000,000 one year. That's $250,000,000 that was paid by ratepayers that didn't go to health care providers.

I'm sure Bushit and Chickenshit can be bought for much less than that.

Question answered--problem solved! QED.

[soldat44]

PRESIDENT BUSH IS THE MOST BETTER PRESIDENT EVER HE JUST TOOK OFFICE IN THE WRONG MOMENT OR THE WORST MOMENT IN THE U.S. HISTORY THATS FOR SURE. I THINK THE PEOPLE IN CONGRESS DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT DEMOCRACY MEENS WELL PEOPLE LET'S SEE THE FIRST LESSON OF DEMOCRACY.. LESSON 1-. IF THE UNITED STATES GETS ATTACKED WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS THE RESPONSIBLE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE UNITED STATES WENT TO ALL THE CHIPS IN POKER TERMS IN THE IRAQ WAR THAT MEENS IF THE UNITED STATES DON'T WIN THIS WAR THE UNITED STATES GETS ***** IT'S OVER THE U.S. WILL BE DESTROYED WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS...SO THE PEOPLE OF THE CONGRESS HAS TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND SHUT UP THEIR MOUTHS BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT A HELL IS GOING ON IN THE MIDDLE EAST IF THE U.S. GET OUT FROM IRAQ THE U.S. GETS *****.. WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS INSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
Posted by v_1618 at 11:18 AM : Jul 26, 2007

Uhhh...your CapLock key is ON. Just thought I'd mention that.

[ezillyamused]

Bush and Posse don't want to fund this because, haven't you heard, there is no poverty in America! Each and every American needs to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and stop complaining. Problem is, these are the very folks who can't even afford to buy the boots! Congress needs to get their stuff together, find a backbone and throw all of these war-mongering, hypocritical liars and thieves in prison!

[marcodele]

pug_ster, that is an excellent point about the Terry Shiavo fiasco. While Bill Frist was diagnosing her as "vibrant" via videotape, and Jeb Bush was rallying his pro-life right wing nuts using a human vegetable as bait, they don't seem to care that children are dying from inadequate health care in one of the wealthiest countries on the planet. Hypocrites have been in charge for the past seven years.

[citizenusa-2009]

People! What's it gonna take? It seems impossible to impeach this tyrant, so why not at least order a competency hearing for this man? He is clearly a megalomaniac (which has been said thousands of times throughout his reign), with HIS VERY OWN AGENDA. His super ego will not let him function for the greater good. Ask yourselves; is this someone who should be in a position of power?

[ezillyamused]

v_1618:
Dude, if you are going to give lessons that most 5th graders know, you need to learn to spell better than a 1st grader and the use of correct grammer would also be a plus. As for Bush being "the most better President ever", well I think that phrase just rings volumes about your mental capacity!

[dgwooster]

Cheer Up. Only 544 days, 1 hours, 30 minutes, and 58 seconds until George W. Bush is no longer President of the United States.

[jack3213]

This is some article, or should I say "Opinion" on behalf of the writer. Not only has the author judged, criticized, and demeaned the president, he did not offer any alternatives. Why isn't this article in the opinion section? As for mine, I will not justify one seeing as I cannot respect someone who would write such trash and assume to know what they are talking about.

[citizenusa-2009]

How many more soldiers and citizens will be killed or maimed in 544 days to justify this sicko's agenda? Because Tony Blair got behind our "nut case", his government ended this term before his term ended. We do not obviously have the power to do that in this country.

[stephanienym]

I didn't vote for the loser!

[ezillyamused]

Jack3213:
This article IS in the opinion section and the reason he gave no alternatives is because there are none to this ridiculous fallacy called Dubya!

[glb1969]

The only solution is impeachment and a hanging in the senatorial gallows for crimes against the us people and his utter disregard for the constitution.

[hwk_i67]

Jack3213,

Did you read the whole thing? Or just the parts that criticized the president?

There were alternatives, provided by BOTH SIDES OF CONGRESS (which almost never, ever happens). The president didn't want to do that. Who knows why. Just another head scratching incidence in his insane presidency.

I've read Mr. Meyer's articles and I've always found to be very straight forward and pretty fair to those he writes about. And I happen to agree with him on this subject.

Good day.

[tejasdemo]

Finally back on track Mr. Meyer with a good article. An excellent article.

I am not sure what Bush is trying to accomplish either but if he's shootin for the most inconsiderate SOB on the planet he's got a good head start !

[hwk_i67]

tejasdemo,

I still can't help but wonder if he's really going to reliquish power in 544 days.

[jack3213]

You are right, sorry, it is an opinion, as trashy as it is, and though he is straighforward, I suppose I had a difficlut time finishing it because of his depth of criticism for BUSH. It is simply a shame that terrorists read this and laugh at us daily, thinking "Piece of cake"

[soldat44]

...Jeb Bush was rallying his pro-life right wing nuts using a human vegetable as bait,...
Posted by marcodele at 11:23 AM : Jul 26, 2007

Please get your facts straight. Terry Shiavo was responsive and aware at times...Not a 'vegetable' as you so coldly describe a human life. Convenient for your misguided argument but so very wrong.

[lochlan-2009]

Organized crime at its best. Oh, it's our government, what's the difference.

[archiej2]

Really, why should this surprise anyone? Bush's infamy will rest as an immoral president responsible for worldwide death, destruction and devastation. Health care for poor young children? You've got to be kidding! On one hand, Bush refuses to acknowledge the wealth of knowledge to be gained from stem-cell research, yet he is apparently comfortable in permitting the children of Dafur to be subjected to rape, mass torture and murder. There should have definitely been a collective outcry for the impeachment of this president long ago.

[jack3213]

Archie, Are you insane? Do you actually believe honestly one man is responsible for all you give him credit for? It is people like you that should not be voting.

[alienateddem]

Impeachment is off the table. Pelosi and Conyers have taken leverage off the table. The Wild West is alive and well. Hence, he who hath restoreth dignity to The White House (infidelity in the Oval Office trumps daily lunacies, see The Evangelical American Taliban for an explanation). Bush is right though. Once you increase children's access to healthcare, the floodgates will open. Next, working middle class adults will stake their claim. Then illegal immigrants. Before we know it, we will spending vast sums of money on healthcare and diverting those resources from making war. It is no different than the Vietnam Era really. Back then, I recall that a GI on leave from his tour of duty in Vietnam was arrested in Ohio for making love to his girlfriend in a drive-in movie theater. Such breaches of law and social protocol had to be punished. Thanks God he was allowed to go back to Vietnam and kill more '*****'! The point is that Bush is the sentinel at the gates of rationality and won't allow us to go astray on his watch. Obviously, Democrats in Congress, through their inaction, enable him to sustain his chaotic destruction of the nation. There is hope. The Congress may get back to flag-burning, gay marriage, tax cuts, and passing earmarks after its recess. Since the Iraqi Parliament will be vacationing concurrently, maybe they can get together and compare notes on do-nothing methodologies.

[archiej2]

Jack3213 - It is individuals such as yourself who should go back to school and get a GOOD education.
Wise up not so wiseguy!!!

[jeffstersf]

Yo soldat44, get YOUR facts straight about the GOP pawn that was Ms. Shivo. Bill Frist, no longer practicing medicine claimed what your saying after seeing one video. You give that more credence than doctors who had been working with her for years. And anyway, without tubes and pumps and machines and modern drugs she would have died an natural death years ago. Keeping her heart beating in shell of a mindless body was immoral. As are you, obviously.

[jack3213]

Now that's an comeback, Archie, seeing as I have a PHD in Science. Wisdom is relative to experiance, not book learning, however, and having been on this Earth for awhile it appears it takes more than ONE man to make history.