Documentary: BU for Barack

Check it out... Super Tuesday at BU!

SCHIP

SCHIP- State Children's Health Insurance Program

Passed, finally, by President Bush who vetoed it twice already.

Take a look at this video for Jon Stewart's take on the first veto of the SCHIP bill.

This new version of the SCHIP bill only supports those already under the current program- children who's families' wealth doesn't qualify them for Medicaid but doesn't allow them enough money to pay for private insurance.  The bill extend the financial support of the program through 2009.

Originally, the Democrats had tried to pass the SCHIP bill with a new program that would allow for additional children to be placed into the program- an $35 billion dollar increase in the program financed by an increase in the tobacco tax.  These changes in the SCHIP program are what Bush originally vetoed.

The version that Bush has now passed- in keeping with the status quo - has been hailed by Bush administration as a way to provide healthcare for children while not progressing the country into a move towards socialized healthcare.

However, the Democrats, and I myself, have a different take on Bush's recent signing.  By passing a bill that stays with the status quo, and effectively saying that putting more children under a program that would be financed through an increase in the tobacco tax is a move towards socialized healthcare, which is unacceptable, should significantly hurt the Republicans in the polls- should this news story gain the reporting that it deserves.  I've said this many times, but I'll say it again: how can a "family values" Republican president justify not extending a children's healthcare program because it would lead America towards socialized healthcare.  You are increasing the tobacco tax for heaven's sake, to pay for healthcare for children who cannot afford it.  Children!  I don't know what Bush is thinking, but to me, providing children with the ability to be healthy is a necessary thing in the advanced society that we are living in today.  It seems unfair that these children should not be able to get the type of medical care that they need simply because doing so would possibly put America on the path towards socialized medicine (ha, probably not).

The extent to which Bush's lack of extension will hurt the Republicans in the 2008 Election will only be seen by how the media decides to cover this bill.  Also, the fact that many Republicans in Congress actually supported expanded the SCHIP program and voted for the expansions that were vetoed by President Bush, does not really help support any claims that Bush's lack of expansion will heavily influence the election.  I think that the most that Bush's signature on this bill could do in the way of harm would only be to hurt Bush's sagging approval rating.  But still, because of all of the hype surrounding the upcoming Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, this bill is not going to get the type of coverage by the media that it needs in order to have a strong influence against the Republicans and the Bush administration.

Iran? Nuclear Weapons? No? What Now?

National Intelligence Estimate on Iran... (as impressively interpreted by London's Financial Times)

2005 Report: 

• Iran will continue to try to develop nuclear weapons
• Iran is likely to be able to produce a nuclear weapon within 10 years
• Could possibly make one sooner

2007 Report:

• Iran stopped nuclear program in 2003
• Could produce a highly enriched uranium by 2009, most likely 2010-2015
• Probably not likely that Iran could produce enough enriched uranium to produce a nuclear weapon by 2009

So, Iran... they've stopped their nuclear program.  

The first problem:  President Bush has been basically lying to our faces about Iran's threat to American security.  The Bush administration has been sitting on this report for months.  He knew!  He knew that Iran was not as great of a threat that he was making; yet, he decided to continue lying to the American people.  Unfortunately, because of the way that Congress and the American people have been letting President Bush and VP Cheney  get away with taking away American's rights (Patriot Act, warrant-less wiretapping), gaining more power (again, the Patriot Act and now "The Office of the VP"), and simply lying to us (WMDs in Iraq), America can be assured that nothing will be done to call the President out on his mistakes.

The second problem: In President Bush's press conference after this report was released, he continued to assert that Iran was still a threat to the United States.  A threat?  No doubt.  If I were  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, I would not the United States very much.  Why would I want to cooperate with a President who declared me part of his "Axis of Evil"?  Why would I want to cooperate with an administration that wrongly declared that I was producing nuclear weapons?  Iran does pose a threat to American national security.  However, that threat is derived from President Bush and the Bush Administration's unwillingness to even talk with America's "enemies".  The Bush Administration feels that they can name-call and walk all over the rest of the countries in the world in order to protect the freedom of democracy.  It is uncalled for to allow the President to tell the American people and the world that the United States still believes that Iran is a threat- even though the report just published shows that Iran has stopped their nuclear program- 4 years ago at that!  This cannot be the case.  In order for freedom, equality, and peace to be achieved, world powers, especially America, need to accept other nations and work towards promoting peace between nations.  Let's not go back to middle school-esque social interactions; we're all grown up now, it's time to act like that.

Check out the New York Times article on this issue.  Republicans and Democrats are both getting hyped up about this issue.

It will be interesting how this new evidence about Iran will play into the 2008 Primaries and Elections.  Republicans will either have to pull themselves away from the authoritarian way that President Bush is trying to control the views and actions of Americans towards Iran and put forth a statement saying that they will not attack other countries without full and complete evidence.  Or, knowing the Republicans, they will continue to say that Iran does pose some sort of threat that could result in the United States getting involved in that country- of course, who does not love war, especially after 5 years of a failing one!  This issue will definitely help the Democrats on other hand.  Strong stances against action in Iran, held by both Obama and Edwards, will hopefully gain support.  The Obama campaign will especially be aided by this report, as he has declared to at least start talking to America's enemies in the world.  However, this report may hurt frontrunner Clinton, who seems to support Bush on many of his ideas concerning foreign policy, a stupid move, considering how the Iraq War worked out.  Listen to your husband Hillary, he's smarter than Bush (there really is no comparison) and he has a lot more experience.

Take a step back people.  Do we want EVERYONE to hate us?  I don't think so.

Think clearly, think about the future, think about what we know.  Now decide what to do...