A few days ago the President announced his intention to veto legislation which would expand health insurance coverage for children. By increasing federal funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), this bill—hailed before as “popular” and “bipartisan”—would cover an additional 4 million children who are currently uninsured.

Today we learned that, inexplicably, over 150 Republicans in the House of Representatives went on the record against protecting the health of poor kids. Poor American kids.

Today we learned that, inexplicably, 7 out of 10 House Republicans would side with a President who has the approval of just 3 in 10 Americans overall—and fewer when it comes to healthcare.

But that’s not all. Today we learned that, inexplicably, 77% of Republican Representatives chose to ignore the plight of the uninsured, a problem 70% of Americans have classified as “very serious.”

Despite what should have been an urgent wake-up call for Republicans in 2006, “out of touch” doesn’t even begin to describe the President and his Congressional lapdogs these days. “On another planet” would be more like it.

There are two possibilities for why the majority of Republicans choose not to work for better health for low-income children: they don’t think it’s their responsibility, which would make them negligent; or they simply don’t care, which would make them heartless. In either case these so-called “Representatives” are not living up to the job entrusted to them by the American people.

Unless 19 Representatives change their vote, Congress will be unable to garner the 2/3 supermajority needed to override a veto. And unless the Republican Party gets its act together soon, it will become not only the loser but the laughingstock of 2008.

Update: Rasmussen has the latest from the American people:

Forty-four percent (44%) of American adults say that health care services should be made available for free to all Americans….39% disagree and 17% are not sure.