Cancer Society Runs a Great Ad

Given all the attention given the "General Betray Us?" ad run by Moveon.org, let's hope someone notices the great ad run by the American Cancer Society in this morning's national papers. Beneath a picture of a young child and a cigarette, with check boxes next to each, is the headline: "Mr. President, Choose Wisely."

The state Children's Health Insurance Plan bill taxes cigarette smokers to pay for adding four million kids to the rolls of those with health insurance. It's the best two-fer since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. It not only insures kids, it saves lives (900,000, according to the ad) by encouraging adults to quit smoking and preventing youngsters from starting.

A few weeks ago, I blogged on the wisdom of separating out the Medicare changes contained in the House bill from the SCHIP/tobacco tax bill. Today's Washington Post reports on the Senate's passage yesterday of a clean SCHIP bill, and the heavy political price the Republicans will pay for standing with the President in his ideological fixation on defending market-based solutions to the health care mess.

Last night, I caught a few moments of the Republican presidential debate hosted by Tavis Smiley. Meant to address the concerns of the minority community, none of the leading Republican candidates showed up. Maybe they were with President Bush in his bunker, figuring out how to justify his planned veto (with their support) of SCHIP.