Posted on 10/07/2007 12:01:54 PM PDT by SJackson
Madison Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin may have gotten off the best line about President Bush's veto of the bipartisan measure to extend the successful State Children's Healthcare Insurance Program, known as BadgerCare in Wisconsin.
"The man who coined the phrase 'No Child Left Behind' abandoned 10 million children today with the stroke of his veto pen," said Baldwin, a Democrat.
That sums Bush up.
When it comes to caring for kids, he's all talk.
The only time he ever follows through on his sloganeering is if he thinks there is a political benefit to be accumulated if he does so -- or a price to be paid if he does not.
Since Bush will never again face the American electorate, it is ridiculous to criticize or even care about his actions. He will be dealt with in the history books as a man whose presidency established the baseline against which all other failed tenures in the Oval Office will be measured.
While it may be satisfying to pick on Bush, he has for the purposes of this debate made himself a malignant bystander.
Energy focused on the president is wasted. In contrast, energy focused on getting House Republicans to support an override of the president's veto is well expended.
One Wisconsin Republican, Fond du Lac's Tom Petri, voted with Democrats in the state's delegation to extend access to health care to almost 38,000 children in Wisconsin and millions more around the country.
Two Wisconsin Republicans, Janesville's Paul Ryan and Menomonee Falls' James Sensenbrenner, voted with the president and against the kids.
Ryan and Sensenbrenner need to hear from Wisconsinites, and the message needs to be a blunt one: This is not a partisan fight. This is a fight between right and wrong -- a moral struggle as clear as any the Congress will confront.
Wisconsin Reps. Baldwin, Petri, Ron Kind, Gwen Moore, Steve Kagen and Dave Obey have occupied the moral high ground. Ryan and Sensenbrenner have stood the low ground with their president.
Ryan and Sensenbrenner made one wrong choice. Now they can get it right. They can stand with their president or with the children of Wisconsin.
Obey outlined the choice well when he said, "The same president who wants to borrow $50 billion to give another round of tax cuts to folks who make over a million bucks a year, the same president who wants to spend another $200 billion on Iraq, is saying now that we can't afford to invest less than one-fifth that amount to provide decent health care for 10 million American kids.
"If there's anyone in America who has a more warped sense of budget priorities than the president and his White House team -- all of whom have first-rate health care -- I'd like to know who it is."
Bush's priorities are warped, and the country has suffered much as a result.
Paul Ryan and James Sensenbrenner must now decide whether they want to perpetuate the suffering or address it. We often counsel a search for common ground -- especially when conservative Republicans are involved -- but there is no room for compromise on so clear a choice between right and wrong.
Most Lesbians only feel loyalty to fellow Lesbians.
Oh, shut up, Tammy, Bush has already decided to see it your way.
Bush calls for compromise on children’s healthcare
Oct. 7
“If putting poor children first takes a little more than the 20% increase I have proposed in my budget for SCHIP, I am willing to work with leaders in Congress to find the additional money,” he said.
I am guessing something involving 6 men lined up with AK 47’s and this ole gal and Tammy tied to a post.
Yep those Muslims are very tolerant of same sex marriage and perverts.
Congratulations for finding an op-ed in which there contains not a single truthful sentence! The Dhimmis must feeeeeeel so proud ;’}
It would have been more appropriate to have a scruffy-looking ADULT holding a sign, since Bush wants to eliminate the adults from the expanding program.
Hey Dems—what room do you have to complain about the welfare of children? YOU think it’s ok to KILL THEM via abortion.
And this using kids as props thing in this issue is sick. The kids have no understanding of the issue and are just being indoctrinated and told what to do by a bunch of liberals who give them a biased, one-sided, not completely true version of the truth. Let them think for themselves and come up with their own opinion.
Thing is, if everybody started thinking freely for themselves they would eventually wind up at the truth, and liberalism would disappear from the face of the planet. That is the moonbats’ worst fear.
The program to help “poor kids”?? Since when is poor making $80k per year??? Since when are “kids” up to 25 years old?? Communism in America fails again. Unfortunately, some real poor kids will be hurt because of Democrat’s dishonesty.
Dear Tammy Baldwin:
You care more about your gay lover than anyone's kids so what is your point?
It is the parent's responsibility to care for their own kids not the government (which means taxpayer's)! If they can't care for them then don't have them!!!
Why should I pay for other people's kids when they sit on their butts having kids they can't afford?!
Enough is enough especially when someone who makes $80,000 a year would qualify for this benefit!
MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS!
She was also the first ever openly gay non-incumbent to be elected to the House of Representatives, her election having won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. Baldwin is one of two openly gay members of Congress, the other being Barney Frank of Massachusetts. Her partner is Lauren Azar.[3]
her partner, Lauren Azar, in Madison, Wis.--she also needs to contend with constituents who fear she will transform into a gay activist from hell, obsessively pursuing gay causes at the expense of everything else.
Baldwin tells The Advocate in a telephone interview from Madison, where she and Azar share a home with their two cats.
Baldwin does not shy away from her gay activist background. She credits the International Network of Lesbian and Gay Officials, which supports and educates openly gay government officeholders, with assisting in her rapid rise through the political ranks. "In 1986, when I joined, there were only 14 of us [openly gay public officials]," she says. "We were all trailblazers of sorts. Now there are well over 200. The sad part is, we don't know each other as well because there are so many of us now. But the good news is, there are so many people challenging perceptions about what it means to be a gay or lesbian politician'
She and Azar, an attorney specializing in environmental law, have been together for four years, and Baldwin plans to be a regular on the Washington-Madison shuttle. "The reason my relationship [with Azar] works so well is that we prioritize our relationship when we do have time together," she says. Still, Azar, who will continue living in the couple's Madison home, and Baldwin plan to make regular appearances on the Washington social circuit. Says Baldwin: "I want to share the adventure with her and make it clear that same-sex couples should be welcomed in political circles."
BALDWIN, TAMMY, Democratic Party
Wisconsin
Total number of trips - 13
Total cost of trips - $30,264.91
Average cost per trip - $2,328.07
Total number of days spent traveling - 46 days
Rank of representative - 219 (Out of 638)
Sponsor(s) - Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government
Dates - January 20, 2000 - January 23, 2000 (4 days)
Location(s) - Aventura, FL
Purpose - Health Care Conference
Notes - Accompanied by spouse Lauren Azar
Travel Cost - $949.20
Lodging Cost - $1,285.89
Meal Cost - $765.77
Other Cost - $39.95
Total Cost - $3,040.81
Additional family members - Yes
Sponsor(s) - Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Commonwealth Fund
Dates - January 11, 2001 - January 14, 2001 (4 days)
Location(s) - Cambridge, MA
Purpose - Health policy conference
Notes - Doesn’t indicate what other costs are
Travel Cost - $541.50
Lodging Cost - $1,309.50
Meal Cost - $353.00
Other Cost - $44.95
Total Cost - $2,248.95
Additional family members - No
Sponsor(s) - Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Commonwealth Fund
Dates - January 15, 2004 - January 18, 2004 (4 days)
Location(s) - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Purpose - Bipartisan congressional health policy conference
Notes - Spouse - Lauren Azar - Other expenses: jacket and pedometer
Travel Cost - $792.84
Lodging Cost - $1,502.32
Meal Cost - $950.00
Other Cost - $56.00
Total Cost - $3,301.16
Additional family members - Yes
Sponsor(s) - Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce
Dates - April 14, 2005 - April 15, 2005 (2 days)
Location(s) - Detroit, MI
Purpose - Panelist: Health Care Panel Discussion
Notes - Washington, DC - Detroit, MI - Madison, WI
Travel Cost - $714.40
Lodging Cost - $182.85
Meal Cost - $27.60
Other Cost -
Total Cost - $924.85
Additional family members - No
Madison attorney Azar appointed to PSC Madison (AP) - Lauren Azar, a Madison energy law attorney who is the domestic partner of the U.S. Rep.
Tammy Baldwin, an open lesbian politician, has listed her partner Lauren Azar, as her spouse on at least one official travel disclosure form
Tammy Baldwin is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
On August 1, 2007, Tammy Baldwin signed on to cosponsor H. Res. 333, a bill proposing articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney and H Res. 589, a bill proposing the impeachment of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
On July 26, 2004, she spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in prime time on the issue of health care.
On October 10, 2002, Tammy Baldwin was among the 133 members of the House who voted against authorizing the invasion of Iraq.
Left wing lieberals abondon their children and expect the state to clean up their mess. Now that sounds right.
Do these people lie in every instance? I’m beginning to think so. This article is an exaggeration.
I agree. Bottom line is they aren't my kids and I'm tired of paying for them.
I am waiting to see a reasoned, factual argument from these people.
This is the way the Democrats work. Promise people Federal money. Get votes from the promise. The Federal government simply cannot pay for all the things the Democrats are promising to “give”.
Why should the productive, responsible, working part of the population be coerced, through taxation, to pay for the Democrats’ promises?
Don’t trust anything out of Baldwin’s mouth. Liberal lesbian alert.
"Sponsor(s) - Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Commonwealth Fund Dates - January 15, 2004 - January 18, 2004 (4 days) Location(s) - Fort Lauderdale, FL Purpose - Bipartisan congressional health policy conference Notes - Spouse - Lauren Azar - Other expenses: jacket and pedometer"
Expenses included a jacket and pedometer? To give a speech?
“Who’s blocking that kid’s bath?”
That kid probably goes to a 20k a year boarding school and the parent works for the DNC.
I wondered what that smell was.
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