"The perfect is the enemy of the good," Voltaire said, but Dennis Kucinich ignored the lesson this week. The presidential candidate voted no on the the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP), joining most Republicans. But it was for a different reason that the costs cited by President Bush, who is expected to veto the bill.
Rather, Kucinich said in a press release on his congressional web site, he opposed the bill because it wsn't as good as his own preferred plan.
“I cannot support legislation which extends health coverage to some children while openly denying it to other children,” Kucinich said. “This legislation is woefully inadequate: and I will not support it.
“Legal immigrant children deserve the same quality health care as other children receive. It is Congress’ responsibility to address the main difficulties that prevent legal immigrant children from gaining access to health care. Today, we did exactly the opposite.
“HR 676 guarantees full health care coverage for all children. When considering a universal health care proposal, HR 676, the Medicare for All bill, is the only health care plan that addresses three important issues: quality, accessibility, and cost.
The no vote earned him low marks back home in Cleveland. Buckeye State Blog called the vote "a progressive 'screw you' salute to Ohio's children."
Kucinich, perhaps uncertain of his chances of being elected president, is running for re-election in Ohio's 10th Congressional District at the same time he's seeking the presidency. He faces three Democratic primary challengers including Rosemary Palmer, who said of Kucinich's vote:
President Bush vows to veto the bill, and on the other, Dennis Kucinich votes against it because he doesn’t think it is perfect. This is a perfect example of what is presently wrong with Washington decision-making. Polarizing positions work against functional compromise resulting in a government that cannot serve in the nation’s best interest. While fringe politicians like President Bush and Congressman Kucinich rant like petulant children, the nation remains stagnant and desperately needing effective leadership.
Kucinich is also opposed in the primary by Barbara Ferris, a former Peace Corps executive and congressional aide who also ran in 2004 and 2006, and by Parma, OH mayor Dean DePiero. All three share the same criticism: Kucinich has been spending too much time on his long-shot presidential candidacies and had been neglecting the district. Buckeye State Blog worries that the big field of challengers may split the anti-Kucinich vote, but reports on internal Cuyahoga County politics (incomprehensible to any non-Clevelander) that may consolidate support behind one challenger.
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In an article in his blog, Bill Callahan explains this better that I could do it.
Meanwhile, people who are not personally running for Kucinich’s job, but are honestly concerned about getting SCHIP reauthorized and expanded to more kids of all ethnic persuasions, should remember the arithmetic of all this. After working out the grand compromise with the Senate that excluded a lot of immigrants’ children from coverage, Speaker Pelosi was still able to find only 265 votes for approval: 220 Democrats and 45 Republicans. That’s 25 short of the 290 it will take to override the President’s certain veto. Twelve Democrats including DJK voted "no" or didn’t vote. Nothing prevents them from voting "yes" on a veto override; but even with all their votes, Pelosi will still need thirteen more Republicans to cross the aisle. The likelihood of getting them is small... and everybody involved knows it.
So let’s be clear, folks: People aren’t mad at Dennis because his vote derailed a bill that was close to passage. They’re mad because this bill, by getting vetoed, is supposed to set a bunch of Republicans up for "anti-child" attacks next Fall, and the Democratic leadership wants its whole team working from this playbook. It wants Pelosi and Co. to look strong. And Dennis is, once again, not being a team player.
And Dennis Kucinich was very clear in this regard:
"Legal immigrant children deserve the same quality health care as other children receive. It is Congress’ responsibility to address the main difficulties that prevent legal immigrant children from gaining access to health care. Today, we did exactly the opposite."
Shame on the Democratic Party Leadership on the Hill. In their game, Immigrants are only pawns. At the same time the Democratic Leadership has failed to bring the Dream Act to the floor. And mind you, the Dream Act has been label as a bipartisan initiative!
I really hope the Democratic Party and its leadership will start responding to the Latino Agenda. If not, I'm afraid, it will not take to long for many to jump ship, some to abandon the political scene and vote no more, others towards new third parties.
Peace with Justice / Si se puede! Marcos
Kucinich is fond of citing the WPA as a model for a number of his proposals. When Harry Hopkins, the man FDR sent out to get the WPA up and running, was challenged by a Republican lawmaker who said the WPA might help as a stopgap, but it would do no good in the long run, Hopkins replied, "People don't eat in the long run. They eat every day."
Dennis Kucinich would have done better by remembering that, and then to have applied it to this vote on SCHIP. Instead, he chose to score cheap political points in yet another hopeless presidential campaign over helping uninsured children.
And when the bill comes back on the veto override vote, who will Dennis4President stand with then: Bush, or the children in his district and all across America who need health care?
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