The DCCC Gets Health Care for Children Right -- Well, 99% Right

Last week the DCCC kicked off their "Putting Children First" campaign to remind voters which Republicans conspired with the Bush Regime to sabotage the S-CHIP legislation. The DCCC, as well as citizen activist groups and labor unions, is spending millions of dollars on radio ads, robo calls, and a targeted e-mail campaign. Blue America applauds their efforts.

Here's the text of the DCCC robo call that's going to voters in districts represented by shameless Republicans like Steve Chabot (OH), Thelma Drake (VA), Tom Feeney (FL), Sam Graves (MO), Randy Kuhl (NY), Tim Walberg (MI), Jim Saxton (NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (MI). In fact this very one is being listened to right now by voters-- and, remember, 72% of American voters are pissed off over Bush's veto and over so many congressmembers backing him up on that veto-- in Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Framington Hills, Pontiac, West Bloomfield, and Waterford Township, affluent Detroit suburbs filled with moderate voters who think the S-CHIP legislation is fair and all-American.

"I am Lisa Matzenbach calling on behalf of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

"My daughter, Liane, has a chronic illness. Even though I work full time, I can't afford her care without SCHIP-- the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

"Congress recently passed legislation to provide SCHIP health care to over 10 million uninsured American children.

"But, Congressman Joe Knollenberg and President Bush are against providing more than 118,500 Michigan children access to the health care they desperately deserve.

"Please call Joe Knollenberg at [phone] and tell him it's time he put our children first."

But we at Blue America don't think our pals at the DCCC have gone quite far enough. Sure, we're a big tent party but, let's not forget-- there are some issues that are fundamental to being a Democrat-- and guaranteeing health care for sick children is one of them. That's a reason why we're Democrats and not Republicans. So we want to lend the D-Trip a hand. There are only 5 reactionary renegade Democrats who are supporting Bush instead of their constituents on this. We don't think there should be any Democrats in that camp. So we've taken a cue from the DCCC and we're running a campaign of phone calls into the districts of the 5 bad Dems:

Jim Marshall (D-GA)
Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
Bob Etheridge (D-NC)
Baron Hill (D-IN)
Gene Taylor (D-MS)

Can you help us? It just costs pennies per call but we'd like to flood the districts with the calls so that voters know that their congressman may be a Democrat in some ways, but not when it comes to health care for needy children. Take a listen to the call for Jim Marshall, a Democrat who also supports Bush on the Iraq occupation, women's choice (i.e.- none), domestic spying and almost every other issue important to Democrats. His voting record is abysmal.

The calls are being financed by several blogs including the Blue America PAC and any contribution you feel like kicking in -- from $5 to $5,000 (that's the maximum) -- would be greatly appreciated. Use ActBlue to donate right here.

If you live in the districts of any of the renegade, anti-family congressmen, please contact them yourself. Here's the information for each of the 5 hold-outs who still insist they're voting against children's health and with Bush, Selfishness and Greed:

Jim Marshall (D-GA)-Washington, D.C. Office [phone]; Macon, GA Office 1-877-464-0255; Tifton, GA Office [phone].
Baron Hill (D-IN)-Washington, D.C. Office [phone]; Jeffersonville, IN Office [phone]; Bloomington, IN Office [phone].
Gene Taylor (D-MS)-Washington, D.C. Office [phone]; Bay St. Louis, MS Office [phone]; Gulfport, MS Office [phone]; Ocean Springs, MS Office [phone]; Hattiesburg, MS Office [phone]; Laurel, MS Office [phone].
Bob Etheridge (D-NC)-Washington, D.C. Office [phone]; Raleigh, NC Office [phone] or 1-888-262-6202; Lillington, NC Office [phone] or 1-866-384-3743.
Mike McIntyre (D-NC)-Washington, D.C. Office [phone]; Lumberton, NC Office [phone]; Fayetteville, NC Office [phone]; Wilmington, NC Office [phone]; Bolivia, NC Office [phone].

Crossposted from Down With Tyranny

Follow Howie Klein on Twitter: www.twitter.com/downwithtyranny

Comments

[llamajockey]

Howie,

Yes Baron Hill is a conservative Blue Dog Democrat. In 2006 Hill just barely won back his rural purple red district from Ultra-Conservative Republican Mike Sodrel. Since then Hill hopefully has learned a few things concerning his past DLCish pro-Free Trade pro-Immigration voting record and its unpopularity with Hoosier Democrats.

Howie this is the second time in a month, you have encouraged Democrats to protest the votes of purple-red region congressional Democrats that would have been otherwise suicidal in their electorates. Seriously you really expecting Purple district middle America House Reps to commit suicide over MoveOn.Org­'s stupid narcissistic assinine and ultimately useless "General Betrayus" cluster****. What badge of honor can be found in alienating those Red-State Democrats who have worked very hard to help rebuild the party.

So lets be realistic Hill's Southeastern Indiana district still has quite a number of small family tobacco farms. I am sure voting for S-CHIP given its reliance on tobacco taxes would have proven fatal to any reelection hopes for Baron Hill. Its is the Democratic Leadership to calculate how many potential votes they many lose based on the tax inceases required for funding any expansion of the social welfare safety net. Pelosi surely knew that voting for S-CHIP would be used by Hill's probable opponent Sodrel as a mighty club with which to pound him to dirt in their 2008 rematch.

Asking folks from across the country who have no idea of the local political realities to hound a particular Democrat is a waste of a well meaning would be activist's time and energy.

Furthermore the reason the Democrats have failed to draw down the Iraq Occupation is the fault of our incompetent and corrupt Democratic DLC Clintonista leadership, namely Schumer & Emmanuel and their respective sockpuppets Reid and Pelosi. They would rather make deals with Bushco for wildly unpopular "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" and new "Free Trade" deals.

[drblack]

Taxing one small minority group is really slimy to me.
i am willing to pay a bit more to help kids.
Why don't we all ,as Americans , help out our fellow man.
If you don't smoke and you are all upset over this you are also pretty sneaky.
It is easy to sacrifice other people's money.
Step up and write your Reps and get them to tax all Americans.

[vet64]

Find out who their campaign contributors are and see haw their votes helped their campaign donors out.
Why don't the Congress and Neo Con Parasites infesting the Executive Branch have adhere to the same Conflict of Interest and Collusion laws and regulations Smalltown USA have to?

[twillercat]

One article after another regarding SCHIP totally ignores the funding plan. The funding will come from a regressive, unfair plan that will tax smokers -- and only smokers.

Why is that facet of the issue ignored? Has the 80 per cent of the population that doesn't smoke decided that it's okay to steal from the other 20 per cent to fund a program from which all would benefit?

If the tax were an income tax, you could say it was progressive but it's not. It's a sales tax. That is, by definition a REGRESSIVE TAX.

With Democrats like we have these days, who needs Republicans?

[godlessclif]

Just quit smoking Dude. The money we save from not having to surgically remove your lung can pay for a sick kid.

[Overd0g]

"We" wouldn't be removing his lung. He would.

[Halsey]

twiller..i­s that correct? that it's all to be paid for by a tobacco tax? I KNOW smoking is a horrible habit (and know I WILL quit..I did quit for 14 years..and the bastard (cigs) got me back..BUT.­..I posit this...I have, by choice, not had children..­.so..do I want my tax dollars to go to those who, without the proper means, have chosen to have kids? answer: Yes...it's CHILDREN for crissakes!­... Reinstate the "estate tax"...jee­zus..let Paris Hilton pay some big taxes on her unearned windfall..­. what's the problem with that?

I completely don't get curios'com­ment...HE doesn't get any benefits..­it's only for children..­not adults...y­es..SCHIP could use some tweaking..­I don't understand the $80,000 income level being included say, if that person is self=employed and not in a company insurance plan..but my concern is for poor children..­yes. there will be abuses...(­um..like missing equipment in Iraq!...).­.but worth it to protect the innocent..

[boldtimer]

Three Cheers; It's about time for the progressive Democrat voters in this country to stand up and fight back with the most formidable tool of Democracy: Individual Grass Roots Involvement.

The term "Big Tent Party" is one of those tags approved by the army of consultants who tell our elected Democrat members of Congress what to say and do, bet you never thought you elected a robot. Our elected Democrat officials piggy backed on to Republican issues in 04 in an attempt to gain mass appeal, they were accused of being Republican lite and lost the election for their lack of creativity. Too bad they didn't decide to adopt the loyalty that right-wingers have for their Party and it's platform.

Now that you have finally found what it takes to get things done in Washington, you can move on to step 2 where you resist the compulsion to re-elect the same person to the Congressional Seat for your district. Remember, one form of insanity is electing the same person time-after-time and expecting different results.

Complacency among our elected officials is destroying this once great country, only you can change the status quo !

[groucho]

The CEO, or some other code name, of United Health Care, made $1 billion dollars for himself this year. I pay $400 a month for the privilege of having UHS, this includes a $2500. yearly deductible for diagnostic tests, my copay for a specialist is $50., and I recently had an epidural for 3 herniated discs, and my co-pay was $289. That is after I reached my deductible.
$1 Billion dollars for the CEO,
but no $47 million for children's health care.