Jesus

CJ tees off on Breitbart.

A Dick

The lads at LGM think he's a Dick. And they ain't talking about Cheney. Washington Post, via Lawyers, Guns and Money:

"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.

The president said he objects on philosophical grounds to a bipartisan Senate proposal to boost the State Children's Health Insurance Program [ed. - aka SCHIP] by $35 billion over five years. Bush has proposed $5 billion in increased funding and has threatened to veto the Senate compromise and a more costly expansion being contemplated in the House."

Bush: No Deal On Children's Health Plan

"'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."

The CBO's take on SCHIP from the commies at CBPP, via Obsidian Wings, via Lawyers, Guns and Money.

Smokers Versus Kids?

Why George would veto this is beyond us. NYTimes (07.15.07):

"The White House said on Saturday that President Bush would veto a bipartisan plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee.

The vow puts Mr. Bush at odds with the Democratic majority in Congress, with a substantial number of Republican lawmakers and with many governors of both parties, who want to expand the popular program to cover some of the nation’s eight million uninsured children."

Bush Is Prepared to Veto Bill to Expand Child Insurance

"The program, which insured 7.4 million people at some time in the last year, is set to expire Sept. 30."

The CBO projects that the expanded program would "reduce the number of uninsured children by 4.1 million." The Senate Finance Committee is proposing a $35 billion increase [ed. - which works out to about three months of what we're spending in Iraq and Afghanistan] over the next five years. It would be financed by raising the tax on cigarettes from $.39 a pack to around a $1.00. Generous souls that they are, George and the boys dont' want more than a $5 billion increase.

"[Tony] Fratto, the White House spokesman, said, 'Tax increases are neither necessary nor advisable to fund the program appropriately.'"

But that's the bogus reason. The real reason is that increasing the number of kids who would become eligible "'will have the effect of encouraging many to drop private coverage, to go on the government-subsidized program.'"

And we certainly can't have that now, can we.

Politically Correct

Would it have been creepy working for Monica or what? NYTimes (05.12.07):

"Two years ago, Robin C. Ashton, a seasoned criminal prosecutor at the Department of Justice, learned from her boss that a promised promotion was no longer hers.

'You have a Monica problem,' Ms. Ashton was told, according to several Justice Department officials."

Colleagues Cite Partisan Focus by Justice Official

"Referring to Monica M. Goodling, a 31-year-old, relatively inexperienced lawyer who had only recently arrived in the office, the boss added, 'She believes you’re a Democrat and doesn’t feel you can be trusted.'"

Monica was also apparently in the habit of "quizzing applicants for civil service jobs at Justice Department headquarters with questions that several United States attorneys said were inappropriate, like who was their favorite president and Supreme Court justice. One department official said an applicant was even asked, 'Have you ever cheated on your wife?'"

"Ms. Goodling also moved to block the hiring of prosecutors with résumés that suggested they might be Democrats, even though they were seeking posts that were supposed to be nonpartisan, two department officials said."

"And she helped maintain lists of all the United States attorneys that graded their loyalty to the Bush administration, including work on past political campaigns, and noted if they were members of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal group."

Ahhh Monica. A loyal little Bushie indeed.

Hey remember this from back in 2002? BBC (01.29.02):

"No longer will US Attorney General John Ashcroft appear in public with a semi-nude statue towering above him.

The US Justice Department has spent $8,000 on curtains to hide the statue from the cameras."

Curtains for semi-nude justice statue

Word is that was Monica's idea.

Spooky woman, that one.

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy

Quite the prick, eh? Anamosa (Iowa) Journal-Eureka (05.03.07), via Horse's Mouth:

"Last weekend Deb and Jerry VonSprecken of Olin received a call from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's campaign office asking them if they would be interested in holding a campaign rally on May 4, after she had donated to his campaign."

'We thought it would be an honor and agreed,' said Jerry."

Giuliani Snubs Jones County

"On Tuesday [05.01.07] Deb received a call from Giuliani's [Des Moines] office and was asked to call New York."

"'They wanted to know our assets,' she revealed, and added that she and Jerry have a modest 80 acre farm and raise cattle."

"Later she received a call from Tony Delgado at the [Des Moines] location."

"Tony said, 'I'm sorry, you aren't worth a million dollars and he is campaigning on the Death Tax right now.' Then he said they weren’t going to be able to come,' Deb continued."

There's at least two votes Rudy ain't getting any more.