Bush Will Veto Using Cigarette Tax to Give Children Health Insurance

Saying that he is “philosophically opposed” both to new taxes and to using government to insure uninsured children, President Bush is threatening to veto a new cigarette tax that would expand health coverage for children.  Way to put your personal political ideology ahead of children, Mr. Prez.  Let’s see, higher tobacco taxes, while not deterring adults from smoking, do prevent many children and young teens from starting to smoke–at just the age when most people are hooked. So, this could save lives, right?  And insuring uninsured children (in a nation the World Health Organization has just ranked 37TH!! in overall healthcare) would presumably also save lives.  So, what part of this veto will be “pro-life?”