Bush in KC for Graves; opponents pounce
President George W. Bush is to be in Kansas City today to help raise money for U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio.
And critics of both are replying with ads and a report. The latter, by the Missouri Progressive Vote Coalition, attacks Graves’ record on healthcare for Missouri’s children.
“Graves’ reward for being a rubber stamp for Bush’s upside down priorities is a private $5,000 a plate fundraiser for his November re-election with the President,” the coalition said. “ The report, ‘Sam Graves: Bad for Kids in the 6th District,’ details how Rep. Sam Graves has voted lockstep with President Bush to deny the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
“Currently, there are more than 120,000 uninsured children in Missouri,” the coalition added. It is targeting Graves, in part, because he has sided with Bush against a plan to expand SCHIP to ten million children nationally. That would affect more than 60,000 in Missouri, the coalition said. Its full report is available at missouriprovote.org.
(Bush and his allies say the expansion will add families who should be able to afford to purchase their own health care. Bush has called it a move toward socialized medicine.)
Meanwhile, a group called Americans United for Change has launched an ad campaign against Bush and Graves.
Was this an announcement of the President visiting our state or just an opportunity for you to level criticism?
Looks like the latter.