Question

[frogmarch]

Here's a right-wing editorial (or perhaps LTTE) masquerading as a news story at my local radio's website, http://chadrad.com:

NE- Illegals Would Be Covered Under The Democrats Plan
By: Walt Winston Posted at: 10/07/2007 08:43 AM


WASHINGTON D.C. / LINCOLN When President Bush vetoed the SCHIP program last week, the main stream press failed to mention a few key points of the veto or the Democrats plan which would raise the tax on cigarettes an additional sixty one cents per pack as well as Illegal immigrants would also have been covered under the Democrats plan which would cost another six and a half billion dollars in spending on the plan. The Federal Government will also rely on additional state funding to support SCHIP. At the current eligibility level, the State of Nebraska allocates $32 million for the program. With the Democrats’ version of the bill, by 2010 the program will cost $4,000 for every new child enrolled. this is $1,700 more than the costs involved in enrolling a child in a private family insurance plan. Democrats want to frame this issue as “protecting more children however, those most in need are going to get left behind. Contrary to what the main stream press is reporting, Republicans care about maximizing the effectiveness of SCHIP and making sure all Nebraska families have affordable health insurance, while the Democrat leadership cares about its political agenda of building a huge faltering bureaucracy of federal health care.

http://chadrad.com/newsstory.cfm?story=8153

What needs to be said in response to this? Thanks for any suggestions. I'm fuming!

[frogmarch]

1. Well, here's what I wrote.

I wish I could have done better, but I hope it will suffice, anyway.

~~
I am writing with regards to the Republican propaganda piece masquerading as a news story appearing at Chadrad.com. The piece, "Illegals Would Be Covered Under the Democrats Plan," was written by Walt Winston.

The SCHIP program (called Kids Connection here in Nebraska) does NOT - I repeat, does NOT - provide any benefits to illegal immigrants in Nebraska! For cryin' out loud, even legal immigrant children have to wait five years for eligibility.

Insisting that the SCHIP program provides benefits to illegal immigrants, and blaming the Democrats to boot, is conniving and dishonest. It's Republican propagandizing - the "swift-boating" of truth.

Oh, and another thing: increasing tobacco taxes to help fund SCHIP is supported by a vast majority of Americans, and that includes smokers. Why does Winston object to an increased tobacco tax? Besides helping to fund SCHIP, a worthwhile healthcare program - no, make that a critical healthcare program - and easing the state's burden, an increased tobacco tax could help lower the number of smokers, and therefore, smoking-related deaths. Does Winston not consider this a good thing in itself, SCHIP notwithstanding?

If President Bush had not vetoed the SCHIP reauthorization, Nebraska would have received incentives and the necessary federal funds with which to expand coverage to children now eligible for the program but who aren't receiving benefits. Unless the veto is overriden, the responsiblity will lie with the state.

Why did Bush veto the reauthorization? He and his supporters worry that the private insurance industry would suffer if low-income families not quite desperate enough to qualify for Medicaid aren't forced to buy their own healthcare policies. It boils down to protecting corporate interests. That's the Republican way.

Sincerely,

(my name)

~~

[acmavm]

2. Maybe you should have pointed out that if some medical

professional would have made Walt's mother stop him quit eating those lead paint chips when he was a kid, he might have been okay as an adult.

I wonder if they couldn't afford health care when Walt was young, or if the intelligence deficiency is just a genetic thing that runs in Walt's family.