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“Abby – Bachmann” Ad Back-Up Americans United For Change TV (:30)

SCRIPT FACTS ANNCR: George Bush just vetoed Abby. And Josh. He vetoed Latoya. And Kevin. Bush vetoed health insurance for millions of America’s children.

(CG: Vetoed Health Insurance For Children) FACT: Bush vetoed Children’s Health Insurance Program.

President Bush vetoed the expansion of SCHIP. Earlier this month, President Bush vetoed the expansion of SCHIP. [Washington Post, 10/4/07]

FACT: SCHIP expansion would cover 10 million children in working families.

SCHIP expansion would cover 10 million children from working families. “At issue is a program that provides health insurance for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private health insurance… Supporters say that would be enough to boost enrollment to 10 million, up from 6.6 million, and dramatically reduce the number of uninsured children in the country, currently about 9 million.” [Washington Post, 10/4/07]

FACT: Editorial boards support SCHIP.

Child Health. “It’s shameful that America has no universal medical insurance and has 45 million people without coverage. It’s more shameful that the White House may cold-heartedly reject this attempt to protect more kids. So much for “compassionate conservatism.” [Charleston Gazette Editorial , 9/27/07]

Children’s Coverage at risk over self-righteous ideal. “To their credit, the House and Senate have passed and sent to the president a plan to increase federal funding to $12 billion a year. It would add 4 million children to SCHIP, while some adults on the program would be moved to Medicaid. A 61-cent increase in the federal cigarette tax would foot the bill. But the president and other Republican leaders have dug in against the proposal on the grounds that it is a step toward universal health care. SCHIP was never meant to include middle-class families, Bush argues, and so he will veto the plan. So we see politics at its worst.” [Charleston Gazette Editorial , 9/27/07] ANNCR: And Congresswoman Michele Bachmann voted with him.

(CG: Bachmann voted with him) FACT: Congresswoman Michele Bachmann voted against SCHIP

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann voted against Children’s Health Insurance. [HR 976, Vote #906, 9/25/07] ANNCR: Bush and Bachmann would rather send half a trillion to Iraq

(CG: Wrong Priorities) FACT: Congresswoman Michele Bachmann supported spending billions in Iraq.

Bachmann voted for the emergency Iraq spending bill. Congresswoman Bachmann voted for the bill that appropriated $97.8 billion in fiscal 2007 emergency spending, including $94.4 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would provide $3.4 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Relief Fund. It would establish 18 "benchmarks" for the Iraqi government and require the president to report on progress towards meeting the benchmarks. It would permit, but not require, the president to withhold reconstruction funds if the benchmarks were not met. [HR 2206, Vote #425, 5/24/07]

Bachmann voted for emergency Iraq spending. Congresswoman Bachmann voted for the passage of the bill that would authorize $645.5 billion for defense programs in fiscal 2008, including $141.8 billion in emergency spending for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill would authorize $102.7 billion for weapons procurement, $142.5 billion for operations and maintenance, $115.4 billion for personnel, $18.2 billion for military construction and family housing and $23.5 billion for defense health-care programs. It would authorize $8.1 billion for the Missile Defense Agency and a 3.5 percent pay increase for military personnel. The bill would require that Walter Reed Army Medical Center be funded at the fiscal 2006 level until the Defense secretary certifies to Congress that expanded facilities at Bethesda Naval Medical Center and Fort Belvoir have sufficient staff, equipment and capacity to provide at least the same level of care provided at Walter Reed Army Medical Center during fiscal 2006. [HR 1585, Vote #373, 5/17/07]

Congress has approved $450 billion for the war in Iraq. Since the war began, Congress has passed $450 billion to fund the war in Iraq. [The Star-Ledger,9/27/07]

FACT: Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has consistently supported the President on Iraq.

Bachmann has stood with Bush and repeatedly voted against bringing American troops home. Congresswoman Bachmann has consistently voted against bringing our troops home from Iraq. [H Con Res 63, Vote #99 (D 229-2, R 17-180), 2/16/07; HR 1591, Vote #265, 4/25/07; HR 2237, Vote #330, 5/10/07; HR 2956, Vote #624, 7/12/07]

Bachmann said that U.S. must stand strong to win the war on Terror. “We must stand strong in our resolve to fight and win the war on terror…Bachmann criticized the resolution and said it should be rejected. She also said that after three days of debate, she had yet to hear a plan from the Democrats ‘for victory in the war on terror.’,” [Star Tribune, 2/16/07]

Bachman called a divided Iraq a safe haven for terrorists. "America's adversaries are in agreement that a divided Iraq benefits their objective to expel America from the region, resulting in Iraq being a safe haven for terrorists." [Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 3/2/07]

Bachmann said that U.S. must stand strong to win the war on Terror. "We must stand strong in our resolve to fight and win the war on terror…Bachmann criticized the resolution and said it should be rejected. She also said that after three days of debate, she had yet to hear a plan from the Democrats "for victory in the war on terror."," [Star Tribune, 2/16/07]

Bachmann says that U.S. must stand strong to win the war on terror. “I believe, and our troops in the field know that victory in Iraq transcends politics. Victory in Iraq and in the war on terror will help so that no sister will have to worry about their brother being killed by terrorists. No mother will have to explain to their children the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. We must stand strong in our resolve to fight and win the war on terror.” [Bachmann Congressional Press Release, 2/16/07]

Bachmann fully supported President’s plan to increase troop levels in Iraq. “‘I'm fully supporting the effort of increasing troop levels to the levels proposed not just by the president but by the Joint Chiefs of Staff,’" she said. But when asked how she would vote on the resolutions of opposition to the increase or bills to limit the number of troops in Iraq that Democrats have introduced recently, Bachmann said she would judge each bill as it comes up for a vote.” [St. Cloud Times, 1/21/07]

Bachmann said she supports a plan for victory in Iraq but is neither declining nor endorsing Bush’s troop escalation. “‘[Bachmann] is endorsing a plan for victory. ... The president outlined a clear strategy with several benchmarks the Iraqi government has agreed to. We will have to evaluate those over the next several months…" `Congresswoman Bachmann supports victory in Iraq…She is neither declining nor endorsing [Bush’s escalation] but she's willing to consider it along with all other ideas focused on victory. ..’" [Star Tribune, 1/17/07]

Bachmann said that Bush’s troop increase in Iraq is justified if it brings a “swift” end to conflict in the region. "The American people deserve to hear and understand the merits of increasing U.S. troop presence in Iraq…Increased troop presence is justifiable if that measure would bring a swift conclusion to a difficult conflict." [Star Tribune, 1/9/07]

Bachmann said that failure in Iraq will make the radical Islamists stronger. "If we are not successful in Iraq, it will embolden the radical Islamists to fight…And global instability will be worse if we walk away from this fight because the perception that we will send to the terrorists is that we are a weak America." [Saint Paul Pioneer Press, 10/27/06]

Bachmann supported the mission in Iraq. Bachmann said she supported the mission in Iraq. “Staying the course means holding to our mission,” she said. “I believe in keeping to the original mission that we entered this conflict with, keeping American interests and the American people safe.” [Gannett News, 11/15/06]

Bachmann said the war makes Americans safer. “Bachmann argues that the war makes Americans safer at home. ‘We have one enemy now: The radical Islamist terrorists who are seeking the defeat of the United States,’ she said. ‘My position is they lose, and we win.” [Pioneer Press, 10/22/06]

Bachmann said we must stay in Iraq until victory is achieved. “Bachmann said the American military presence in Iraq must be maintained until victory has been achieved. She attempted to link it to America's broader efforts to combat international terrorism.” [St. Cloud Times, 9/19/06]

FACT: Iraq war could cost $1 trillion.

Analysis Says War Could Cost $1 Trillion. The war in Iraq could ultimately cost well over a trillion dollars -- at least double what has already been spent -- including the long-term costs of replacing damaged equipment, caring for wounded troops, and aiding the Iraqi government, according to a new government analysis. The United States has already allocated more than $500 billion on the day-to-day combat operations of what are now 190,000 troops and a variety of reconstruction efforts. [Boston Globe, 8/1/07]

Estimated Costs of U.S. Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Appropriations for military operations in Iraq total $413 billion from 2003 through the 2007 fiscal year. [CBO Report, 7/31/07]

How Iraq Trillion Could Have Been Spent. The price tag for the Iraq War is now estimated at $700 billion in direct costs and perhaps twice that much when indirect expenditures are included. [ABC News, 2/4/07]

The President has wrong priorities. The president prefers spending $5 billion, a funding level that would create shortfalls in several states, even at current program levels. In objecting to the expense of $35 billion for five years, he raises a question of priorities. Tellingly, the country spends that sum in 31/2 months fighting the war in Iraq. [Houston Chronicle Editorial , 9/27/07]

ANNCR: than spend a fraction of that here to keep our kids healthy.

FACT: SCHIP expansion would cost $35 billion over five years.

The expansion of SCHIP would cost $35 billion over five years. “The vetoed measure would expand the $5 billion-a-year program by an average of $7 billion a year over the next five years.” [Washington Post, 10/4/07] ANNCR: Congress can override Bush’s veto. So ask Congresswoman Bachmann to think again. Does she stand with him? Or with them?