Democrats to hammer GOP over Bush's latest veto
By Tony Pugh and Margaret Talev | McClatchy Newspapers
* Posted on Wednesday, October 3, 2007
WASHINGTON — Democrats on Wednesday seized control of President Bush's veto of expanded children's health insurance coverage, making clear that they plan to use it as a political hammer against vulnerable Republicans, especially those who need support from moderate voters to win in next year's elections.
Hours after Bush vetoed legislation to renew and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Democrats who control Congress said they'd schedule a vote for Oct. 18 in the House of Representatives to try to override the president.
Between now and then, a two-week wave of advertising and rallies are aimed, at least officially, at pressuring 15 to 20 more House Republicans to support the override. Some 45 House Republicans already had joined the 265-159 majority that approved the measure last week.
Democrats are also quietly prodding 11 of their own who voted against the bill or missed the first vote. All told, Democrats need to pick up 25 more votes to override Bush's veto.
However, if their override effort falls short of the two-thirds majority needed — as many Republicans predict, and some Democrats privately agree — that could put even more momentum behind the Democrats' drive to make this a major 2008 campaign issue, one that Democrats think will hurt several GOP presidential hopefuls as well as House incumbents who stand with Bush.
more...
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/20180.html