reality-based educator

So far, GOP members have stayed with their preznut to the bitter end on nearly every important showdown between the executive and the legislative branches and locked the legislative proess down to a standstill. But the LA Times says the State Children's Health Insurance Program bill may be the first time that "scared" Repubs jump ship:

President Bush is threatening to veto federal legislation that would renew the same partnership — the State Children's Health Insurance Program — and expand it to cover more of the nation's nearly 9 million uninsured children.

If he follows through on that threat, Bush could face a first in his presidency: a veto override.

The bill is considered Washington's most important legislation this year on health coverage.

And Bush's fellow Republicans are worried that Democrats may do more than back the president into a corner — they could use his opposition to tar GOP incumbents in next year's elections.

If the House and Senate approve the bill and Bush vetoes it, some Republicans say, there is a good chance that many in his own party would join with Democrats in overriding him.

Many Republicans are "very nervous," said Sen. Gordon H. Smith (R-Ore.), a supporter of a compromise formula that Bush opposes. "On the one hand, you've got the veto threat. On the other hand is the political importance of expanding healthcare for children. This is public policy broadly supported by the American people."

"I personally believe there is a reasonable chance he'll be overridden, but I don't want to make any predictions," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), one of the authors of the original program.

So what will the GOP strateg be to save their preznut from a veto override be?

Easy, kill the bill with a legislative deadlock - just as they've done with 40+ bills so far in the Senate. McClatchy reports that this year Repubs have filibustered the Senate into a complete standstill and if the pattern holds, Republicans will have blocked 153 pieces of legislation with filibusters with cloture votes. Here's the chart:



Amazing - by the end of the year Repubs will have filibustered nearly 3 times the amount of votes of any Senate term in the last 45 years but they're calling the Democratic-controlled Congress "do-nothing."

Dems need to get the meme out - the current Republican congressional members are obstructionists who vote with their preznut (you know, the one with the 26%-29% approval) nearly 100% of the time (so often, in fact, that it becomes news when they actually DON'T side with him.)

So far, Dems haven't gotten the word out about the obstructionist Bush Republican Congress - now it's time to start.