Splattering of spattering

Had to listen to that nattering nabob, that Paternalistic Patriot President of ours today while exercising. George W. Bush is a nattering nabob. He has an incredibly grandiose view of himself. And he is paternalistic. His manipulative twisting of facts to meet his own wants shows such a blatant disregard for anything approaching the truth that I am often left fish-mouthed agape while doing the sweaty heavy breathing thing.

Apparently the purpose of this particular press conference was to try to frame Congress' inability to pass SCHIP into law as part of a grander view of Congress as inept non-achievers. They just can't get anything done, can they? Nope, they can't, Mr. President. Particularly when you and your minions keep the pressure on those foolish few Republicans to support you at all costs on very unpopular issues like the war and SCHIP.

Today, Bush made sure to continue lying about the income level of children SCHIP will reach. He really likes that $80,000 figure, doesn't he? Yet it is false. There is only one state--New York, with its high cost of living--that will expand to such a high level. 85% of the children who will be covered have family incomes below the currently accepted levels. In other words, nowhere near $80,000

Based on previous data, 91% of the children covered by SCHIP in 2006 had incomes below 200% of the poverty line. Even with the raised income level, this is not expected to significantly change. And why would it? If you make $80,000 a year in most parts of the country, you would have access to employer-provided insurance. Who wants to deal with the hassles of government-provided anything if they don't have to? Makes no sense.

Of course, no one has every accused George W. Bush of making much sense much of the time.

I'd imagine Bush felt he was facing a group of nattering nabobs of negativity today. The press was on attack, thank goodness. Not that they managed to get any true information out of him. But at least they tried.

If you'd like to hear a bedtime story about why you should care about the whole Blackwater thing, read this. I lied. Don't read it at bedtime.

Splat.

Liz