Rep. Etheridge SWITCHES VOTE-To Override Bush's VETO Of SCHIP

[kpete]

Etheridge switches vote — now for child health
Posted at 4:15 PM by Adam Searing

Representative Bob Etheridge notified the press today that he will vote to override Bush's veto of the child health bill tomorrow. This follows Representative McIntyre's switch on Monday of this week. Now I feel really guilty about being so critical of their earlier votes against the bill. Actually not, but I'm ecstatic they've decided to do the right thing.

There will be lots of speculation about the pressure brought to bear on these two legislators. I know that many of their constituents contacted them about this bill and that the press coverage was almost uniformly for the health bill and against their votes. Behind the scenes though I have heard that Governor Easley really went to bat for the child health program and has used the power and pressure of his office to help convince these two Representatives to do the right thing for NC children. Success has many fathers as they say, but there's nothing like a firm call from your home state governor to make even the most experienced member of Congress think twice about a bad decision.

Finally, this puts NC Republicans - who all voted against child health - in the bad position of no longer having the excuse that "many Democrats" voted against the bill as Rep. Virginia Foxx says. In fact, they really didn't have that excuse in the first place. Uh, Virginia - 45 Republicans in the House supported the bill, eight Democrats voted against it and it passed with 265 votes. Isn't it time to stop with the desperate excuses?

Will all NC Republicans vote again against child health insurance tomorrow? We'll find out.

http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/?p=654

[malaise]

1. Maybe the religious left should explain the drought in Pat Robertson's

language :D

[Jackpine Radical]

4. The Religious Left? You mean the Unitarian Fanatics? (nt)

[malaise]

10. LOL

horses for courses :D

[Maat]

12. Unitarian Fanatics ....

:rofl:

Yes, I'm one of those.

[book_worm]

2. Let's override the bastard!

[Coexist]

3. knr!

[Lucinda]

5. Just saw a really nicely done commerical

urging the viewers (I'm in Eastern TN) to contact their critters about the SCHIP veto override vote.

I won't be surprised to see others switching too. Elections coming up, ya know. :)

[Cha]

6. Good for the Dems in North Carolina..acting

like them! That's what politians are all about..Excuses.

[gateley]

7. Good for Etheridge! Keep 'em coming! nt

[aquart]

8. Let him know you're happy.

[gateley]

9. I'll do that right now - thanks for the nudge. nt

[tom_paine]

11. Look at how far we have fallen. Health Insurance for Poor Children barely passes!

:puke:

This is not the coutry I grew up in. It's NOTHING like that place.