"I'm just amazed that the Republicans are worried that we can't pay for insuring an additional 10 million children. They sure don't care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal War in Iraq.

""President Bush's statements about children's health shouldn't be taken any more seriously than his lies about the War in Iraq. The truth is that that Bush just likes to blow things up – in Iraq, in the United States, and in Congress.

After Rep. Pete Stark made his harsh statements against the Republicans and Bush over the SCHIP veto, the right wingers are trying to change the subject again by feigning outrage against him. Stark also didn't fall for the MoveOn ad outrage also. Good for him. CNN ran a small clip of him all morning. Here's CNN's poll. 88% say he shouldn't apologize. What say you?

via emailer:

"The wingnutosphere, Drudge, John Boehner, Roy Blunt, Jeb Hensarling, the RNC, and the NRCC, on the other hand, have issued statements criticizing Congressman Stark. Republicans believe that creating a controversy around these marks will help deflect attention from their opposition to health care for children."

In response to Republican attacks, Congressman Stark recently issued this follow-up statement:

"I have nothing but respect for our brave men and women in uniform and wish them the very best," said Stark. "But I respect neither the Commander-in-Chief who keeps them in harms way nor the chickenhawks in Congress who vote to deny children health care."

I was having problems with the coding from the new Poll software and C&L's webmaster Jamie deleted this text because of the code problems. Here's the full text.

"I'm just amazed that the Republicans are worried that we can't pay for insuring an additional 10 million children. They sure don't care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal War in Iraq.

"Where are you going to get that money? You're going to tell us lies like you're telling us today? Is that how you're going to fund the war? You don't have money to fund the war or children.

"But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the President's amusement.

"This bill would provide health care for 10 million children and unlike the President's own kids, these children can't see a doctor or receive necessary care.

"Six million are insured through the Children's Health Insurance Program and they'll do better in school and in life.

"In California, the President's veto will cause the legislature to draw up emergency regulations to cut some 800,000 children off the rolls in California and create a waiting list. I hope my California Republican colleagues will understand that if they don't vote to override this veto, they are destroying health care for many of our children in California.

"In his previous job as an actor, our Governor used to play make believe and blow things up. Well, the President and Republicans in Congress are playing make believe today with children's lives.

"They claim we can't afford health care and say the bill will socialize Medicine. Tell that to Orrin Hatch, Chuck Grassley, and Ted Stevens, those socialists on the other side of this Capitol! The truth is that the Children's Health Insurance Program enables states to cover children primarily through private health care plans.

"President Bush's statements about children's health shouldn't be taken any more seriously than his lies about the War in Iraq. The truth is that that Bush just likes to blow things up – in Iraq, in the United States, and in Congress.

"I urge my colleagues to vote to override his veto. America's children need and deserve health care despite the President's desire to deny it to them."