Raging Granny Street Theater Boos Bush Healthcare Veto

Bush exercised the veto of legislation expanding children's health care on Oct 3, 2007 triggering rallies organized by MoveOn.org across the nation in protest.
In Palo Alto, CA the Raging Grannies staged street theater with strollers racing toward a "GOAL: health care for kids!" sign while a stealth BUSH VETO stroller attempted to block their path.

Speaking in Pennsylvania, Bush said he vetoed the bill because it was a step toward "federalizing" medicine and inappropriately expanded the program beyond its focus on helping poor children, according to CNN.com.

Members of the San Francisco Bay area's Raging Grannies Action League reacted swiftly: "In actuality this legislation was designed to take care of kids caught in a gap; their parents make too little to afford private health care but just enough to make them ineligible for Medicaid," said Raging Granny Ruth Robertson. "Bush shows with this veto how completely uncaring he really is."

County Supervisor Liz Kniss (Santa Clara County District 15) added her voice to the outrage at the Bush veto in an address to the gathered demonstators in Palo Alto.

Congress sent the legislation on the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, to the White House after the Senate voted 67-29 in late September to expand the program. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has said she will try to get the 15 Republican votes needed to overturn the veto. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo is also strongly committed to this effort. The Palo Alto demonstrators marched to Rep. Eshoo's office from Lytton Plaza and met with Senior Field Representative Rachel Arnow who reiterated the Congresswoman's commitment.

Granny Gail Sredanovic thanked participants in the Palo Alto action saying, "Your presence here today helps us put the final nail in Bush's coffin; by publicizing this veto of children's health care we can be sure that an outraged public will not support Republicans in 2008."