10.07.07
Where is the Outrage?
As we all already know, Bush vetoed the SCHIP bill amidst a furry of bad publicity and bad politics. To those of us who place the importance of policy over politics and publicity, this was a great and monumental step for the President. However, the House will be voting to override the veto, and those who voted against the bill originally are now being targeted for harassment under the guise of a lobbying campaign. What’s worse is that this lobbying campaign is being spearheaded by the usual suspects known for their “sane and rational” thinking and ideas. unfortunately these groups are also well funded and have made it their goal to make anybody who disagrees with them miserable.
That’s right, we’re not only dealing with MoveOn.org, but also with the unions; namely SEIU and AFCSME. These groups along with other like-minded friends are putting together a million dollar campaign against the GOP aimed at turning enough votes to override Bush’s veto. So with that in mind, I have just one question for the GOP and Conservatives out there:
Where is the outrage?
The unions and liberal organizations are looking to start their assault by using TV and radio ads, picket lines and phone call bombardment against GOP congressmen and women (one of which is our own Michele Bachmann) who originally voted against the SCHIP bill and stand to threaten the veto override. They are looking to convince the public that these congresspeople are bad people because they are harming children. Lies, of course, but the general public isn’t nearly informed enough to counteract the mass media. And yet, the GOP and Conservatives out there aren’t outraged enough to put forth the effort to stand up and fight back in a similar manner?
Where are the radio and TV ads from the GOP explaining to people that SCHIP is a lie and stands to do more harm than good? where are the ads telling the public that SCHIP isn’t about the children and that voting down the bill isn’t hurting children? Where are the Conservatives to explain policy versus politics?
In fact, I am somewhat surprised that the biggest call to action has been from the cigar industry begging people to look at the tax aspect of the bill. Otherwise, who have we got? We don’t have the big money organizations like MoveOn and the labor unions. We don’t have the power of zealotry. We don’t have the support of the media. So what do we have?
How do we support our President and Congresspeople on this topic? At this point we have to forget the party (politics) and the press and remember what Conservative Policy is. We have to blow off the GOP Senators and Representatives who have turned their backs on us in favor of votes and good PR (read this depressing article, Norm Coleman sounds like a Democrat here) and focus on those who understand that a $35 billion spending increase for government run health care is not good policy.
If nothing else, the least we can do is write and call our own Congresspeople or any of the GOP Congresspeople who are being targeted here and tell them that MoveOn.org does not represent the wishes or best interest of this country. If we can’t put together a publicity tour de’ force like the Democrats then we need to use our grassroots power and stand behind the President’s veto here. Contact your Representatives and Senators and tell them what you think. Ask the Republicans who voted for the program why they have turned their backs on us.
For those of you reading this in Minnesota, take a minute to write or call Michele Bachmann, who is one of the congresswomen specifically named by these groups to be targeted, and show her that we support her. If you need facts and talking points, click the “SCHIP Watch” link above and check out the Heritage Foundation’s information and charts on the program. Do something, do anything but sit back and let the Democrats and labor unions force feed the public a diet of lies and emotion.
Contact information:
micky2 said,
October 7, 2007 at 11:55 am
We should see if we can get Rush to say that Schips is the worst thing since sliced bread. And then all the bakers that slice their bread will be out in a fury over the statement and this will draw attention to lie over schips. (Or maybe Phillipino sliced bread with flag pins)
Rush will have to retract the statement and hence the issue will get the attention it needs.
Its so freeking stupid when you see which way our outrage gets directed these days
micky2 said,
October 7, 2007 at 1:35 pm
You know,
I’ve been talking to a few people about this and no one really has a clue whats going on.
My wife, the baker lady at the store,my father in law is a devout lefty and hes not even up to date on it,and everyone I speak to on the subject has no idea just how steap of a hustle this really is and the impact it could have later.
Most of these people have no clue what socialism and communism can do to a society.
My mother went through WWII in Denmark and saw first hand what the results are. My Grandma was locked up for hiding American soldiers and my mother was sexually abused by the soldiers who arrested them.
And yet today my mom has an alter with Michael Moore on it. Go figure.
mpinkeyes said,
October 7, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Most people seem to believe this is just an extension of the SCHIPS program, they don’t seem to realize that they will be extending benefits to families who make over $80,000. That is not low income, but all the people hear is that Bush is denying low income children healthcare. They are not paying enough attention to realize that this is just an attempt to further the socialization of healthcare. And with moveon and the unions behind it , it may be hard to stop. All we can do is contact our senators, I know it seems futile but we must try.
totaltransformation said,
October 7, 2007 at 7:23 pm
But if it helps kids we HAVE TO fund it no matter the cost, right?
micky2 said,
October 8, 2007 at 1:32 am
Nobody wants to peel this onion.
Why cant it be pointed out that if all the wrong people were taken off this plan the alloted funds would go to help even MORE kids.
arclightzero said,
October 8, 2007 at 9:24 am
“All we can do is contact our senators, I know it seems futile but we must try.”
If that’s all we can do, then so be it. I have already dropped a note to my (shithead scumbag) Representative. I know it won’t change anything because he so liberal he hardly can be classified as human any more (none other than Representative Dave Obey).
Either way, at least I can say I wrote him. I also wrote the President and a couple of local GOP Representatives who are under fire from these people. I just wish we had the finances of the liberal zealots out there. I know some video people, but getting things aired is so damned expensive.
micky2 said,
October 8, 2007 at 11:51 am
Lets talk to chad at grizzly, see if he has a couple bucks or can think of a fundraiser, he seems to be very connected
arclightzero said,
October 8, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Speaking of entitlement fools who are jumping up and down on the SCHIP bandwagon, check out this moonbat who decided to try to engage me and my “shame”
http://www.mnblue.com/node/768
and better yet, this carbon blob cross posted his response to me over at Daily Kos so he could get all of his little DK moonbat buddies to pat him on the back and tell him what a good little lap dog he is for the socialist movement. I guess I should feel honored to be a featured talking point with these wingnuts.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/8/153924/021
pheistychick said,
October 9, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Have any of you seen the SCHIP video? I have the ‘behind the scenes’ coverage on how it was made.
Check it out: http://www.pheistyblog.com/archives/642
Thanks for writing about this subject, Ryan. Thankfully, most folks I’ve talked to see what the Democrats are doing: Exploiting children for their own benefit.
Great article, as always. Thanks!
blue eyes said,
October 11, 2007 at 3:01 pm
The reason that there isn’t money and much opposition to the SCHIP bill is because it does help children and the working families that cannot afford health insurance. (Truly poor families already have Medicaid). While it could conceivably go to a a family of 4 who earns $80,000 that lives in an expensive area; President Bush would have to authorize this amount. Are you so afraid of one person undeservedly getting this insurance (not socialized medicine, but insurance) that you would deprived thousands of families that really need this? And please do not talk to me about exploiting children when Bush surrounded himself with the “snowflake children” when he was vetoing stem cell research.
S-CHIP is not an entitlement program. It is a block-grant program that gives governors in both red and blue states substantial discretion to help make ends meet for families that make too much money to be covered by Medicaid but too little to afford insurance on their own.
This bill is already a bi-partisan compromise. Why don’t you read about it somewhere other than right-wing sites?
arclightzero said,
October 11, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Here is a link to an already filled in form letter that automatically goes to the appropriate people
http://www.capwiz.com/freedomworks/issues/alert/?alertid=10408501
arclightzero said,
October 11, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Blue Eyes, while you are right that this is a bi-partisan compromise, the truth of the matter is that the only reason it has any GOP support is because there are too many lawmakers who are more concerned with politics and reelection than policy. Their support for the program has little to do with it being a good choice so much as they are afraid of having to deal with the “so-and-so hates children” smear campaigns.
Where you are wrong, however, is that SCHIP is indeed an entitlement program. It is a program that offers people something for nothing, which is very much an entitlement. It isn’t about helping families to make ends meet. If that were the case, it would have a much lower threshold and it would have constraints on it regarding who can use it. This program is about getting more people on the government dole.
I am not afraid of one person “undeservedly getting insurance” as you put it. I am afraid of aan expanding program that is encompassing more than just poor children and needy families. I am terrified of creating an entitlement society that won’t help itself any more because the coddling hands of the government are always there to pick up after them…
Grizzly Groundswell » The Huckeye State? said,
January 5, 2008 at 9:56 am
[...] He criticized the SCHIP veto, which any of my regular readers knows I feel very strongly about. [...]