That makes the 3rd time this has been posted within the last 6-8 hours (nm)

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Bush vetoes children's health bill a second time

By Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Wednesday vetoed a bill expanding a popular children's health-care program for a second time, angering Democrats who are locked in a fight with the administration over the budget and spending.

Pushed by the Democratic-led Congress but also supported by many Republicans, the bill was aimed at providing health insurance to about 10 million children in low- and moderate-income families. Taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products would have been increased to pay for the aid.

Bush vetoed an earlier version of the bill in October but Congress quickly passed another one that included some changes but not enough to satisfy the White House concerns.

"Because the Congress has chosen to send me an essentially identical bill that has the same problems as the flawed bill I previously vetoed, I must veto this legislation too," Bush wrote in a message to the House of Representatives.

The fight between Congress and the White House over the health bill is one in a series of clashes over spending that have arisen this year.

Bush has said the funding level sought by the Democrats for the health program would have expanded it beyond its original intent of covering poor children and marked a step toward government-run health care.

Democrats say the additional money is needed to help families who cannot afford to buy private health insurance but who earn too much to qualify for the Medicaid health care program for the poor.

"This is indeed a sad action for him to take, because so many children in our country need access to quality health care," House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, told reporters.

The bill would have provided $60 billion in funding for the children's health program over five years, compared with the current $25 billion five-year funding level.

The tobacco tax increase would raise the levy on cigarettes by 61 cents to $1 per pack.

House Democratic leaders said they will not try to override the veto right away and would vote on a bill to ensure the more than six million kids now in the program can stay enrolled.

(Editing by Todd Eastham)

(Additional reporting by Donna Smith and Richard Cowan)

... if he truly said that or if Bush forced him to say it, so we can show how *honest* we were when we promised we'd leave when the *Iraqis* wanted us out. The timing of this is just too ironic, considering it's on the heels of Murtha's PLAN involving Iraq. It seems to be more of a response to an angry America than an actual plan.

It's really sad to be this skeptical, but unfortunately, I can't take anything involving Bush at face value, considering the numbers of lies the world has been fed from this administration. By extension, I have to be suspect of things said by Iraqui leaders, who may be spoon-fed what they're *allowed* to say in their new *democracy* (promoting, of course, freedom of speech)!

What has our country become? I always knew that politicians were crooks, but for them to run our country into the ground just to line their own pockets.....it just absolutely disgusts me. All these politicians who received significant money from these companies......do you think they will suffer. No....it will be us who pay for all of this. Government as a whole has royally screwed us all with this.

This whole bail out thing has me so fuming mad I can't hardly see straight. I'm terrified that if we don't do it....we will collapse. I'm terrified that if we do it....it will only slow down but the collapse will still come...only later. I'm mad that they want to bail them out and screw the rest of us. I truly hope that there is another solution to this crisis other than a bail out.

I want the phuckers who deliberately screwed us through their own greed....I want them to pay for this. I want them to be held accountable. Instead, they lined their pockets, get bailed out, and it is the little people that lose out.

I am sick to death of hearing politicians getting on TV and blaming the other party when they themself received a substantial amount of money from these banks going under that are currently wanting bailed out. Stop playing the blame game and just come up with a plan that will benefit the tax payers and not just the big wigs who screwed us in the first place! Stop pointing fingers, grow up, and think of our country and not your own personal bank account.

If I see Obama point his finger at another person again instead of taking a good look in the mirror at himself.....I seriously will scream. He has received so much money from these people and yet he claims no blame at all. What an arrogant b@st@rd!!! What ever happened to taking responsibility for your actions? I guess that doesn't exist anymore....just blame it on the next sucker.

A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have. Sad...

as many countries that have hostages by these pirates....you would think these pirates would be taken out. I mean...we know where they live, etc. It seems kind of crazy that a group of somali pirates can terrorize several countries to taking over ships. Maybe if ship crews were taught how to use guns and each ship was armed heavily and they could blow these pirates out of the water before they even get aboard......