Health-Care Odds and Ends

Taking a brave stand against expanding children's health care, House Republicans (because you know what fiscally responsible, small government folks they have been these past few years), with a few dozen exceptions, voted against overriding the President's S-CHIP veto.

Take that, "socialized medicine".

"We won this round on S-CHIP," White House press secretary Dana Perino said. The administration then reiterated its desire to compromise on the issue. 'Compromise' being GOP parlance for 'shut the fuck up, and agree to our policy'. This usually works for them.

On a related (less depressing) note, Al Gore issues support for real universal health care.

Yes, it's much easier for him as a private citizen to say this than if he were a politician, but I still think it's significant. Leading Democrats are still very afraid to come right out and say this, settling for Hillary-esque 'compromises' involving mandates to buy into the existing insurance system. It changes the scales of the debate when a prominent Democrat (whose name isn't Dennis Kucinich) cuts right to the chase. Assuming anyone pays attention, natch.