Bush and SCHIP -- The Height of Hyprocrisy

I would love for George Bush to explain to the kids in these pictures why he just vetoed the SCHIP law that would provide a chance to go to the doctor without bankrupting their parent(s) to them and more kids like them.

What's interesting about Black America today is that we are a time of upward mobility and transition. In a single extended family, you likely have relatives at every socio-economic level -- from comfortable upper-middle class to working class to straight up po'. I give you the famous comedy Madea's Family Reunion. So it gives us a different perspective on how fragile the current health care system is and how easily someone can get locked out. And get in trouble health-wise. Too often I hear of family waiting to get treatment -- too late sometimes, because they feared the expense to their families.

In one case, it came as a major relief when one sick relative without insurance finally became eligible for Medicare as the family had struggled to find solutions and prayed she would not become seriously ill. Why are our seniors more valuable than our children? How can someone actually veto health assistance for those without it? Only someone who hasn't ever received a doctor's bill they couldn't pay.

George Bush is eager for photo ops with black and brown children when his name is in the mud. The Dems should round up some of those very same children, from the 9th Ward in LA and elsewhere to associate as strong a set of faces on his cynical actions.

The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 18, 1928, as amended (36 U.S.C. 105), has called for the designation of the first Monday in October as "Child Health Day" and has requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this day.
From the White House website:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Monday, October 1, 2007, as Child Health Day. I call upon families, schools, child health professionals, faith-based and community organizations, and State and local governments to reach out to our Nation's young people, encourage them to avoid dangerous behavior, and help them make the right choices and achieve their dreams.

It is the height of hypocrisy that he would dare declare Oct 1 Child Health Day even as he personally planned to use his pen to threaten children's health nationwide. After asking for billions more to continue blowing up Iraq? How revolting.

Those Who Would Be President and Hurricane Katrina - A Review

I took a jog around presidential candidate websites to see how they were responding publicly to the public's dismay/astonishment over what happened 2 years ago and what hasn't happened (in terms of Gulf Coast relief and recovery) since. (the photo above was taken not long after the levees breached in New Orleans and people were drowning).

The re-building of New Orleans and the Gulf region could have been a boon to the U.S. economy with one of the biggest public works projects in American history. New homes could have been built and bought at a time when the real estate industry needs help. New Orleans could have been a shining example of American industy, ingenuity and science as a sparkling clean, safe and energy-efficient metropolis rose from Katrina's ashes.

That hasn't happened. Yet. Instead, President Bush proposes $200 billion for Iraq spending while local police are running low on ammunition to protect folks here at home. Just so we're clear -- at a time when we are threatened by terrorists, police around the country are conserving bullets because the war in Iraq is soaking up all the ammo. We're killing that many "terrorists" over there. Feel safer?

But I digress. I primarily looked at frontrunners on either party.

John Edwards has the biggest presence on Katrina on his site and he's got the second best plan, IMHO. He might have gone with an image featuring Edwards and Katrina survivors on the homepage rather than a big image of the hateful storm itself, though. Weird choice.

Barack Obama and Bill Richardson also have prime placement to reflect the importance of the issue on their home pages. Hillary Clinton's site features the 10 top ten reasons we should vote for her and give her money. Much smaller right below a giant picture of her smiling on a day when some people aren'tthere's a tiny image and link to what's actually a pretty good plan. Um, yeah, ok.

All the frontrunners have good-sounding thought-out plans though Richardson's is perhaps the weakest. Obama has the most detailed and keepin'-it-realest best plan though it's presented as a PDF with a brief summary that looks like everyone else's. Doh!

When reviewing the Republican candidate sites, I admit I was shocked.

Rudy Giuliani is running on his dubious record on 9/11 and whom associates himself with security and crisis response. Yet there is only a headline link for a terse Katrina statement. Rudy Giuliani's press release on his Wisconsin co-chairs is about twice the length of his statement on Katrina. He offers no plan to help those impacted by Katrina nor does Mitt Romney who has a similar shortish statement that didn't even make it to his homepage. But never fear: "Create Your Own Ad" did! Whee!

Fred Thompson? I could find no mention of Katrina on his homepage despite numerous feature spots to include something. Anything. The newsroom also yielded nada at the time I am writing this.

Mike Huckabee? -- the same sad 1 paragraph statement as the rest.

John McCain? Also, just a simple link on his site to a 3 paragraph (at least it's a little longer than his rivals' pitiful efforts) statement. And only McCain gets a bit more direct on the subject:

The failure of government's response to Katrina is one example of why Americans have lost faith in our government.

Or have they just mostly lost faith in Republicans? I mean, no wonder Republicans are less than enthusiastic about this lineup. The candidates all do nothing but mouth empty, shuffling platitudes. You can almost see them mumbling these statements while looking at their shoes. I'd like to save you some time and summarize what all 4 men who have statements say:

"I feel bad about what happened. It's a messed up situation. we need to make sure this doesn't happen again and as President, I would handle that kind of situation better in the future. America is Number 1."

This isn't about white or black - do they think that their supporters don't really care that much about Katrina and what it says about our national disaster preparedness in a time of war??? Did some RNC memo get sent out that said, hey fellas, let's just try and duck-n-cover, do a little soft-shoe maybe, til the anniversary is over and people forget about that whole mess? Most of the Republican candidates as far as I can tell aren't visiting New Orleans or the Gulf this week in contrast to the Democratic candidates. Even Bush and Rove are doing the walk of shame back to the N'awlins they abandoned two years ago.

These are the men who wish to be president? Please. The GOP is no longer the party of national security and through its treatment of Katrina survivors, can't claim to be the party of family values either...

Jaw Tightening Over Katrina? Here are Some Things to Do

Watching scenes from Katrina, America's worst natural disaster to date, this morning on the TV made me mad and made me cry in frustration. I felt powerless that day two years ago. Today and this week, here are a few things you can do (aside from giving to worthy charities, of course) to show support.

Learn the Truth

Watch a clip from Bill Moyers breaking down the broken promises of Bush:



Read Digby's infuriating and just the facts ma'am Katrina Timeline. Of note, George Bush was apparently too pre-occupied after the levee breaches celebrating John McCain's birthday, talking to Michael Chertoff about immigration and in particular, promoting the Medicare Drug "benefit" to do much about Katrina.

Sign the Petition

Go to WhentheSaints.org to watch the new BraveNewFilms Katrina video. While you're there, sign the petition to urge Members of Congress to pass Senator Chriss Dodd's Gulf Coast Recovery Bill of 2007 (S1668) to secure affordable housing for Katrina survivors. We're closing in on 10,000 signers. Let's make it 100,000.

h/t to SuperSpade on this.

Become a Disaster Accountability Monitor

Interesting project and probably needed in the upcoming hurricane season. Here's the dope from the website:

The Disaster Accountability Monitor and Blogger network is recruiting "Disaster Accountability Monitors" and "Disaster Accountability Bloggers" across the nation, in every state and community.

One key component of this project is to make sure gaps in critical relief services are discovered, publicized, and addressed. The sooner gaps in services are realized, the faster they'll be addressed-- especially when organizations, relief agencies, and the government are exposed for not doing their jobs.

Sign Up To Be A Monitor

In the event of a disaster, monitors will:

1) disseminate the toll-free hotline.

2) assist individuals with reporting gaps.

3) help verify reported gaps.

4) help publicize gaps.

Try Bush and his Staff for Crimes Against Humanity

BlackAgendaReport tells us that the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) is joining the People's Hurricane Relief Fund, the Mississippi Disaster Relief Coalition, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, the U.S. Human Rights Network, and many others to conduct an International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in New Orleans from August 29 through September 2. The Bush Administration has willfully flouted international standards of law, order, justice, civil rights, human rights etc for some time now. Don't even get me started on Alberto "I'm Ok with Torture and Illegal Wiretapping" Gonzales. I kinda dig the idea that someone is really treating Bush and co as the criminals they are.

NCBL is calling for a people's campaign - not to elect a particular candidate - but to obtain commitments from all candidates that if elected, they will re-sign the Rome Statute, and lead the effort to bring the U.S. under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. For details visit www.internationaltribunal.org) At the tribunal NCBL will make the case for ICC jurisdiction while others will present testimony and evidence of the most serious international criminal and human rights violations. (See NCBL's memorandum at www.ncbl.org)

Bush, Katrina and the Shame of a Nation -- Two Years Later

I remember well the day the storm hit. Before beginning a staff meeting, I'd read on the internets that Katrina was peeling the roof off the Astrodome. I asked my colleagues to join me in a moment of prayer for those inside. And we bent our heads in silence.

I could not have known how urgently our prayers would be needed. A