In the past I’ve briefly touched base on the propaganda and slander used by the Bush Administration to further their political agenda. Below is the latest example of White House approval and encouragement of doing and saying anything to avoid taking responsibility for their greedy, illegal and incompetent actions, including slandering innocent children (first a 12-year-old and now a 2-year-old).
Paul Krugman of The New York Times wrote an article titled ‘Sliming Graeme Frost’ detailing what he described as a teaching moment regarding the Bush Administration’s response to a radio address held by Democrats that was delivered by 12-year-old Graeme Frost after the president vetoed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill — a bipartisan bill that would have expanded the program that covers millions of children who would otherwise be uninsured. Congress is supposed to vote on a veto override this week.
12-year-old Graeme Frost is 12-year-old beneficiary of SCHIP. Graeme and his sister received severe brain injuries in a 2004 car crash and continues to need physical therapy. SCHIP was intended to help working Americans who can’t afford private health insurance.
The Frost family is the exact type of family SCHIP is defined for: the parents (and their four children) have a combined income of about $45,000 and don’t receive health insurance from employers. Before the accident in 2004, buying medical insurance would have cost them about $1,200 a month — virtually impossible on their combined income. After the accident when the kids needed expensive medical care, they couldn’t get insurance at any price.