Posted on 10/17/2007 4:33:05 AM PDT by Kaslin
House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) blamed “hate radio” for demeaning children who were being used to lobby for an expansion of federally funded health insurance in a press conference late Tuesday morning.
In the run-up to a House vote to override President Bush’s veto of a $35 billion increase to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, children like the 12-year old Graeme Frost---who suffered brain injuries after a car accident-- have been pushed to the forefront of the debate.
Frost’s position as a so-called “poster child” for SCHIP became controversial when his family’s assets were investigated.
This reporter asked Pelosi “Is it appropriate for opponents of SCHIP expansion to openly question the circumstances that led some children to become spokespeople for that expansion?”
Pelosi replied that she “would not censor” critics and “I can’t control what they have to say,” but much of it was “beneath the integrity of the debate.”
She classified many of the “attacks that impugn children” as coming from “hate radio.”
Pelosi invited Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah), also at the press conference to support SCHIP expansion, to address the question. Both declined.
At another point, Reid did offer that he believed opponents of SCHIP had “mischaracterized and misled” the public.”
The House is currently scheduled to have a vote to override the President’s SCHIP veto on Thursday. President Bush has agreed to expand the program by $5 billion, but Democrats are demanding a $35 billion increase.
When the vote occurs, two-year old Bethany Wilkerson, who experienced heart failure as an infant, is expected to watch members make their vote from a high perch in the visitors gallery that sits above House floor. Her family says she would not be alive without SCHIP.
The override is expected to fall 15 votes short and an intense lobbying effort is being conducted by groups like Americans United for Change, MoveOn.org, and Big Labor on Capitol Hill to change those 15 votes. These groups have aired radio ads in more than 20 Republican members’ home districts to help sway them. These groups also rallied behind Pelosi, Reid and Hatch at the Capitol Hill event.
Reid claimed on Tuesday that 69 Senators support expanding the program by $35 billion. This is two more than the 67 needed to override the veto in that chamber.
Jim Williams, president of the non-profit community based health agency Easter Seals, said more than 300 Easter Seals members and staff were present in Washington to lobby Congress for the expansion. There are also cross-country candlelight vigils being held Tuesday evening for the cause.
Celebrity musician Paul Simon, who co-founded the Children Health Fund, also spoke at the event. He implored critics of SCHIP expansion to “reexamine their conscience and find compassion in your hearts.”
Paul’s co-founder Dr. Irwin Redlener described their organization as a “publicly-funded private health care solution” during the question and answer period of the press conference and said the lack of children’s health coverage in the United States was “a major problem with no other parallel on this Earth.”
Redlener said it was being beaten back “with disparaging or mindless slogans about socializing healthcare.”
He remarked, “If I were Emperor, this bill would be $55 billion, not $35 billion.”
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
If the ‘Rats are going to trot out children to advocate positions, as if their cuteness proves something, then the ‘Pubbies have every right and responsibility to ask what exactly the cute child proves. The circumstances of the child then become the legitimate focus of the question.
If the ‘Rats want to avoid this problem, they should stop hiding behind children and make their arguments honestly.
The Republicans have done a masterful job blunting the ‘Rat’s latest Cuteness Offensive. I predict SCHIP will go down to a well deserved defeat as a result. Hopefully they will know how to respond the next time the ‘Rats pull this trick.
Isn’t it humorous to see the RATS throw a tantrum when they don’t get their way.
If the republicans had a spine, they would take them to the woodshed.
Oh the humanity, if the American public didn’t have talk radio, they would be stupid enough to swallow Nancy’s malarkey.
Its Pelosi and company that exploit children to promote their political agenda like they did in this case.
They drug the children into the SCHIP.
Sadly. my Republican congressman, Todd Platts (R-PA), is voting to override tomorrow.
He’s been on local radio (WHP Harrisburg) this morning trying to justify it with talk of the override being on a “compromise bill.”
The local host, R.J. Harris, asked isn’t it about time we have people take care of themselves and stop all this wasteful spending in Washington.
“... demeaning children who were being used to lobby ....”
now, exactly who is using them?
So why do you need the expansion, Mrs. Wilkerson?
Ann Coulter showed us the way on this. Her counter-attacks on the Jersey Girls exposed, once and for all, the successful Democrat strategy of using untouchable attack dogs. Now people see this technique for what it is. Now they know how to recognize it, and the ‘Pubbies can counter it.
We all owe Ann a debt of gratitude for this one.
I’d like to personally thank her ....
Pelosi would know about “hate”.
No one is more hateful than the Dhim O Rats.
I just love her sabotaging Turkish American relations at a critical time.
None dare call it treason.
Liars, thieves, traitors. Suicide bombers. That’s our Dhims.
(crack, pop, static)I(beat, crackle)hate(static, pop, crackle)Nancy.
I wish these groups would go jump off a cliff. MoveOn.org is just a $0R0$ front. He should be in prison as is norman H$U.
I haqd been thinking that we were a middle class, single income family. It took this bunch of idiots to let me know I am poor, since I don't make over $80,000 a year and also learned my daughter (who is getting ready to graduate college) is still a CHILD and getting her own job which will have health insurance.
How stupid I've been all these years. I should have listened and voted for the RATs. It's easier than working for a living. < /sarcasm>
Pelosi and Reid: Rats on a sinking SCHIP.
Easter SealsPaul SimonChildren's Health Fund
Any charity that tries to lay their hands on my money through confiscated taxes loses any right to ask me for a voluntary donation later.
That's a typical mindset of today's Imprial Liberal. "We Have A Devine Right To Rule Over You."
Kids are already covered by SCHIP Madame Speaker. I’m against covering adults up to age 25.
I heard Rush yesterday spotlighting one of the kids and their family story that the democrats were using and the kid was ALREADY COVERED.
Adults hiding behind children to get what they want.
I have seen it first hand, several times. Its disgusting.
In every case, they have a holier than thou attitude.
Hey nancy girl...the Frosts were GAMING the system.....the kid is a VICTIM of lousy parents.
We don't have Emperors in this country, Dr. Redlener. Perhaps you didn't know that. Or perhaps you wish we did...
.
.
.
(BTW, did you notice how the Editor of this piece correctly capitalized the title "Emperor", but can't bring himself to capitalize the title "President"?)
Amen....and the Jersy Girls haven’t been heard from since they were exposed!!
Says it all right there.
The kids are being used.
And they are not being attacked, it is their parents that are demanding taxpayers pay for their healthcare that are being exposed as pimps, charlatans, deadbeats, partisan hacks and reprobates.
Dems are HATE-TRIOTS, not Patriots.
Dear mzpeelousy lets talk about how dems treat the troops. Did you see any of out troops being referred to as NAZIs, Pol Pot followers, air raiding villagers, in a manner reminesent of Ghengis Khan. Did you not see any of that over the last six years? Just because you can’t give wealthy surburban puppies socialized health care, no matter how they prostitute their own children for it, is no reason to suggest there is any hate attached to my reservations of calling 25 year olds children. Piss off socialists.
I sent her the following e-mail:
This family can afford to send each of their children to a private school with a per student tuition of $20,000!
They are in a financial position to establish an LLC for preferred tax treatment of their multi-unit rental property and their 3,000 + sq. ft. single family home, AND their THREE SUVs!! The kitchen in their home has concrete countertops, WHICH ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN GRANITE!
She’s right. It’s “hate” radio.
We conservatives hate moronic, left-wing, anti-American, anti-military, tax-and-spend treasonous lying scumbags like Pelosi, Kennedy, Boxer, Murtha, Kerry, Hitlery, etc.
Nothing wrong with that.
When have the liberals never used anyone? It’s either the elderly or children. Who will they use next?
And boy, did they ever pick the wrong kid and his family to use as the poster child!
Well, every Democrat attack reinforced in the public mind the fact that the Democrats rely on Untouchable Attack Dogs (UADs). The worst thing the Democrats were able to make people think about Ann was that she was right, but she should have been more polite.
By sticking out her chin and taking the blows that rained down upon her, Ann established the point that the Democrats rely on UADs instead of rational argument. By sacrificing her own self for the cause, she has greatly limited the effectiveness of this technique.
Now, Cindy Sheehan is a has-been. The Jersey Girls are anonymous once again. The Frosts are being beaten back. The only time Democrats use UADs anymore is when they are attacking other Democrats. After all, Elizabeth Edwards is the Mother-Of-All-UADs, but she will only go after Hillary!.
This is the worst yet because the parents are pimping their kids.
This is as bad as the parents that took money from Michael Jackson to allow their kids to stay for the weekend at his ranch.
But you have to acknowedge that a lot of their problems occur when they can't remember if they are driving a car, plane or boat at any particular point in time...
I did not know that ERR America objected to SCHIP! (they’re the only “hate radio” I know about)
Yes, she certainly did. And the Left continues their vain attempt to vilify her. Go Ann!!!!
Every ER in the country is required to treat a person, whether they can pay or not.
Most doctors and hospitals will let you pay a small amount for as long as it takes to pay the bill, even if it is the rest of your life.
She could at least properly attribute the source. An Internet forum is just *not* “hate radio”.
I will refrain from characterizing Pelosi and her nonsense, as the descriptors I would likely use might get me banned/suspended.
Everyone likes clean air, everyone likes dogs, children, mom, dad, apple pie and Chevrolet.
What hard core leftists have done is masterful in a twisted sense, mobilizing huge blocks of people who neither pay taxes, nor vote (and many of those who can, should rightly have absolutely no say in how public monies are allocated.) This sounds absolutely heartless, but it is not - assuming the goal is to reduce dependence on government and social support agencies.
Giving children/minors a say in the political process, testifying before congress, is a new low, though probably not the low by any stretch. It is classic because opponents of any given legislation have to overcome the perception that they are indifferent to the plight of children. How sick is that?
The new low is the AARP’s Divided We Fail campaign, where they trot out cute children to advocate for expanded Social Security, Medicare and all sorts of other government goodies for Seniors. It is these very children who will be paying the bill for the programs our seniors are going to bankrupt over the next few years.
Any rational child would call for emancipation from these programs. He could do far better on his own than by relying on programs that will be un-fundable long before he has an opportunity to collect.
I didn't know this till now: this battle is over a $5 billion increase versus a $35 billion increase? Incredible....
Pathetic..... I'm glad the child is well, but a two-year old? C'mon!
The chick is devoid of any logical thought so she delves into the hopeless void of bitterness and secures her title as Chief Demagogue of the HOR.
The power whore is not quite the Queen of the loaded statement, Mrs. Clinton has that title, but she is “clever” enough to keep her supporters perpetual idiots.
This is what PISSES ME OFF the most about the Democrats....They have managed to make DISAGREEMENT = HATE.
The 'Rats are missing a real opportunity here. Maybe they should take two-year-old Bethany Wilkerson (Voted Tampa Bay's Most Photogenic Baby for 2007) and suspend her in a plexiglass box above a pool of Pirhanas. Nancy Pelosi can threaten that if the veto over-ride fails, the rope holding the bottom of the box closed will be cut...
Think of the ratings bonanza for C-SPAN!
This is where the Dems really want to take us...defining any conservative disagreements as "Hate Crimes"...
Some day ........
Every time one of these Lib morons takes a shot at talk radio, they’re actually taking a shot at millions of American citizens.
The total arrogance of these people to belive that talk radio is one person. Without listeners, talk radio is nothing but a box and a single voice.
It’s the same way they view corporate America — “the evil corporations”
Just as with talk radio and its listeners, a corporation is nothing but a building without its employees.
Dems have complete contempt for the American people and the American people better stand up and recognize it. I for one am taking a stand and not only am I never fvoting for a Dem (never have), but I am also never again voting for any Republican who is complicit (voting with) in this kind of contempt for the American people.
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