S CHIP is back. With little changes- and the Lemoncrats (TM) are trying to sneak this through without much input from the Republicans. A quick vote may happen tomorrow.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Congressional Democrats, having made modest changes to a children’s health bill that President Bush vetoed, plan to bring the issue to another vote Thursday in hopes of scoring a win on a top domestic issue.

House Democratic leaders, and key Republicans supporting them, said Wednesday they believe they have altered the measure enough to pick up the handful of GOP members they need to assemble a veto-proof majority, or two-thirds of the House. Republican leaders urged their colleagues to resist, saying the changes are too insignificant to justify abandoning the president on a high-profile issue.

Democrats said they will not know whether they have attracted enough Republican converts until the vote is taken. If enough Republicans again stick with the president, Democrats said, they will pay a political price.

The revised bill “addresses all the concerns that were expressed by our colleagues and by the president,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters. “This is a clarification of the legislation” vetoed by Bush.

Exactly what is now clarified Nancy?

“The reason Congress is held in low esteem is lack of achievement,” said Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del. Expanding the health care program, with or without Bush’s consent, would be a major accomplishment, he said in an interview.

Oh now that’s a good reason now isn’t it? The Do Nothing Congress should pass a bill that creates another class of government dependent citizens, just so Congress can say, “We did something”?? No.

The proposed changes would not affect the heart of the bill that drew Bush’s veto, which the House narrowly sustained last week. The measure still would add $35 billion over five years to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, a figure the administration has called too high. It would enable the program, which now covers 6 million children, to cover 4 million more.

The increase would be paid for with a 61-cent increase in the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes. Bush has said he opposes any tax increase.

The proposed revisions, designed to woo a few more Republicans, involve eligibility matters. Families earning more than three times the federal poverty rate would be excluded, except in New Jersey, where a higher threshold could continue at least for a while.

Low-income childless adults, which some states cover, would be phased out in one year. And states would have to be more rigorous in checking the validity of applicants’ Social Security numbers, an effort to exclude illegal immigrants.

I think the Lemoncrats are taking advantage of this popular but expensive waste of money…and of course they know it. Bush has said he is willing to talk; to give some if they take some- in other words- negotiate. It appears as though our Congressional leaders don’t wish to do this. No wonder we hold them all to such low appeal these days.

Democrats are targeting three dozen House Republicans who backed the veto and said in a letter they were mainly concerned about eliminating higher-income families, adults and illegal immigrants. “All three issues have been addressed,” Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., said Wednesday. “Now the question is, can they take yes for an answer.”

On Wednesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said lawmakers have not justified the need for a $35 billion expansion to cover 10 million children.

I know this is a popular bill; I know many like to think they are entitled to government sponsored insurance- many who make a good living. But I have a huge problem with the choices people are making that lead them to be uninsured. I’m not re-hashing all that now. I’m not fooled by the Lemoncrats lies on this. Neither should anyone else: They will do whatever it takes to cover illegals, higher (Much higher) income families and adults…with my tax dollars. While I sit back and work very hard and chose to cover myself. I WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR this coverage if I decided to take over insuring my kids. Hell, I could save my X over $400 BUCKS a month! But I have principles and integrity. And pride. I don’t NEED to abuse my government and fellow citizens. Others really do need this coverage and I for one could not take from them that which I could provide for myself!

In an interview, Leavitt said about $10 billion could be shaved from the bill by tightening requirements for applicants to prove citizenship, by more quickly removing adults from the rolls, and by reducing what he described as excessive allotments to states.

Yeah…let’s not look at this. Let’s just try to bullshit the people into believing it’s all for the children. Guess I’ll be making more phone calls in the morning to my elected reps on this.