Will President Bush veto more children having access to medical care?

It's been stated that the President will veto the bill that was passed today in the Senate Showdown Looms as Child Health Bill Passes. As it stands right now, it appears there are enough votes to make this bill veto proof, and it's expected that pressure will continue to be placed on the President to not veto this bill.

When you read the Washington Post, it's clear that the Democrats are working hard not just from a Presidential standpoint but in the battle of the all important public relations aspect:

Leading up to a possible veto, the DCCC is preparing advertisements, automated phone calls and e-mail blitzes aimed at Republicans who could change their votes on an override, said a Democrat familiar with the campaign.

Of course the rhetoric is already out there:

"If the president refuses to sign the bill, if he says, with a veto, 'I forbid 10 million children in America to have health care,' this legislation will haunt him again and again and again," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

The real issue beyond the political posturing is:

(the bill) has the support of moderate Republicans and conservatives, business interests and even abortion opponents such as the Roman Catholic Church. The measure has the backing of the health insurance industry and children's and disease-control advocates, most of the nation's governors, AARP, and the American Medical Association.

The compromise would expand the $5 billion-a-year program by an average of $7 billion a year over the next five years, for total funding of $60 billion over the period. 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, supporters say.

The concern from the President and those who oppose the bill is that people would decide to opt out of their private insurance to get governmental assistance. Personally I don't think many parents would do that unless they were barely able to afford insurance in the first place, the insurance available through Ohio as one example is better than no insurance at all but not better than most private insurance plans.