[dread78645]

Take another issue away from the dems. < /sarc >

[RJCogburn]

White House officials have made clear that they do not want to cede the politically potent issue of health care to the Democratic

All politics, all the time.

[Siamese Princess]

Many of the uninsured are illegal aliens and their families.

[Lazamataz]

My L-rd.

I voted for GW Bush and I got Hillary Clinton.

I want my f***ing vote back.

[Principled]

Well, I guess I can drop my insurance at work - i'll be covered by other taxpayers. Shoot, I don't even need to work anymore! THanks W!

[Djarum]

But White House officials have made clear that they do not want to cede the politically potent issue of health care...

...or immigration, or CFR, or socialism.

[AAABEST]

Somebody jail this a-hole before he spends the entire GDP on being on his re-election.

When is this insane punderous raid on the treasury going to end?

[Kevin Curry]

I know you're compiling a list of the names of FReepers critical of Bush's liberal Democrat agenda so you can "hunt them down one by one" if Bush ends up in exile at his Crawford ranch next year. Here's a few more names for your list.

Let me suggest an easier, more efficient revenge strategy. This is Bush's election to lose, and if he does lose it will be because Rove miscalculated the number of crossover Democrat votes Bush could pick up while by abandoning his base. If Bush ends up in early retirement next year, I will mail you my old combat boots. You can put them on, find Rove, and kick his nether cheeks up around his ears (I mean figuratively, of course--but just barely).

[FormerACLUmember]

Bush is a consummate politician who is sewing up votes every way he can. Will he pander shamelessly or will he lead with courage? Unknown at this point. Bush could go either way.

As distasteful as this might be to many on the right, lack of health insurance will be the major issue of the rat party in 2004 (and in the 2008 Hillary campaign for sure). I mean, what do the rats really have left as an issue?

Bush is doing the Republicans a major favor by bringing up the issue now. The Pubbies will have to face this problem at some point, sooner or later. Better now on the Republicans' terms, than facing Hillary and her endless army of media winged monkeys all screaming and raving to a frightened public.

My only prayer is that I hope Bush will lean heavily on Medical Savings Accounts (IRA structured health insurance, personally controlled) and massive tort reform. It has been clearly shown that the money wasted on the trial lawyers could easily pay for health care for the uninsured in the US!

I hope this is not going to be another "Republican" mega-pander festival. I was not particularly worked up about Bush's immigration proposal, I didn't think it was too bad. The bogus Campaign reform law is a 1st Amendment horror show. So Bush could go either way. I wonder?

[WhiteGuy]

"The American people have a right to ask, `Mr. President, how do you intend to make health care more affordable, and more available?' " Mr. Daschle, of South Dakota, said in a speech."

Mr Daschle AND Mr Bush need to understand that the availability and affordability of health care are NOT functions of the U.S. Federal Government.

[DoctorMichael]

</shaking head in disgust>

[PogySailor]

OK, maybe I'm blind, but what new proposal? The only thing in this NY Times article that even mentions anything specifically is this line:

Mr. Bush has already proposed an $89 billion, 10-year package of tax credits for the uninsured, which is many times less than the health plans of the Democrats.

I think I'll wait and see want is actually proposed before forming an opinion on it.

[IoCaster]

"President Bush is expected to propose a health care initiative in his State of the Union address to help the uninsured and the underinsured..."

Ugh.... *gag* *retch* *puke*

Hey W, give it a rest already. The f'kn well has run dry.

[Leatherneck_MT]

Can't say I'm surprised

[Justice]

I don't see a spending program here...I see tax credits.

Maybe this isn't so bad after all...

[sergeantdave]

The solution is to take all the illegal aliens and make them doctors, nurses, therapists, etc. They can wander about the country and knock on doors, asking if anyone needs brain surgery, organ transplants, etc. Of course they'll work for $5 an hour, thus greatly reducing health care costs and making medical insurance unnecessary.

(I'm running for president and my campaign slogan is "Two birds with one stone.")

[FITZ]

to help the uninsured and the underinsured

Why not work on bringing jobs back into this country? And what's the point in bringing in 8 million guest workers and their families when so many Americans can't afford insurance?

[sauropod]

""The American people have a right to ask, `Mr. President, how do you intend to make health care more affordable, and more available?' " Mr. Daschle, of South Dakota, said in a speech at the National Press Club."

The American people have a right to ask, Sen. Dasshole, why is it that everyone has to suck of the Gubbermint teat especially for an illegitimate function of Gubbermint?

[DesertDreamer]

Seems like all there's a lot of unnecessary moaning going on here. Would you rather have a Democrat (socialist) plan? Healthcare accessibility and costs are serious problems that need to be addressed. Let's talk about the real reasons costs have escalated.....IMO....Greed.

Much as a I believe in free enterprise, there are some things that don't belong in the hands of the greediest MBAs in the land. Good business practices need to applied to this industry (that's what it has become), but the pryamiding of administrative and legal costs is a large part of the problem.

Thanks for the heads up on the SOU. I, for one, will be listening with interest and really don't expect to hear anything that will make a single one of the Democrat candidates more attractive than Bush in 2004.

[searchandrecovery]

Golly, it almost seems like he's trying to buy votes, just like the rats. Inferior people should not be employed. What next - HillaryCare via Bush? Welfare for Mexicans living in Mexico? Public Housing for All? $87 more BILLION for Iraq? Boy be looking more and more like a Socialist. Hi, my name is George W. Bush, and I have a spending problem.

If he could just lighten up a little on abortion, I think he could win the Democratic Iowa Caucus. Bush seems to represent the Democratic wing of the Republican Party.