Arnold Schwarzenegger has been fairly good on SCHIP issues. A little slow, but fairly good. Back in August, he wrote a letter with Governor Eliot Spitzer (D-NY) opposing limiting rule changes in SCHIP. While the letter (PDF) stops short of supporting the program passed by Congress (it hadn't been passed at the time), he has shown support on severaloccasions in the past.
Well, now the president has vetoed SCHIP. It didn't take the president very long, I suppose he really, really fears creating any "middle class entitlements". So, it is no longer enough to simply enough to merely voice his support for SCHIP, and to decry a potential veto. I know, I know, time is tight with your upcoming vacation to China, but can't you squeeze some time in for the kids? The time is now, he must actively lobby to garner the final 16 votes needed in the house to override this veto. In fact, there are enough votes in California alone to override. 18 California Republicans voted against the bill, so there's a place to start. The only GOP holdout, Mary Bono, is praying that the SCHIP vote masks the rest of her reactionary voting record.
While Arnold seems to have lost some of his patina of being outside of the system for California Republicans, he still holds some allure outside of the state. So, even if he isn't successful with 16 of the CA's Republican Congressmen, he should be working on those from other states. Use some of that "post-partisan" rock stardom for the good of the nation, you know? Leaders from groups around the state and the nation are looking to Arnold to lead on this issue. The AARP was particularly vocal on pressuring Arnold. And FamiliesUSA, who supported this video, is working overtime to pressure any and all votes in support of SCHIP. Arnold should be as well. Once again, it is Arnold who must decide if his legacy will be that of just another Republican to katybar the doors to progress, or of a leader who reaches across lines and uses his political capital for the good of the state, and the nation.
This is more of a national story, but considering the importance of the health care debate in California, I think this is a significant development.
WASHINGTON, April 16 - AARP, the lobby for older Americans, announced Monday that it would become a major participant in the nation's health insurance market, offering a health maintenance organization to Medicare recipients and several other products to people 50 to 64 years old.
The products for people under 65 include a managed care plan, known as a preferred provider organization, and a high-deductible insurance policy that could be used with a health savings account.
When the new coverage becomes available next year, AARP will be the largest provider of private insurance to Medicare recipients. In addition to the new H.M.O., AARP will continue providing prescription drug coverage and policies to supplement Medicare, known as Medigap coverage.
William D. Novelli, the chief executive of AARP, said, "In launching these initiatives, we are driven by our mission to create a healthier America."
This is the equivalent of the Sierra Club buying an oil company.
