With a timely release of new data, the U.S. Census Bureau may just help end one standoff between President Bush and Congress. The sticky issue: whether to expand the successful program that provides health insurance to many of the nation's uninsured children. The State Children's Health Insurance Program currently covers 6 million children, but it ends Sept. 30.

New census numbers released Tuesday estimate that 8.7 million children have no insurance, up 611,000 from the year before.

Both houses of Congress have passed bills (68-31 in the Senate; 225-204 in the House) to remedy the situation. These not only would renew the program but expand it.

Given the census numbers, that's the right thing to do. The two houses still must meet to reconcile differences, but they expect to have a bill on the president's desk before the program expires Sept. 30.

Unfortunately, the president earlier promised to veto any bill that extends coverage to more children, calling the bills an expansion of "government-run" health care. That's a misnomer. The program provides insurance, making it "government-financed" health care, with care provided by private doctors and hospitals. Others rightly characterize an expanded program as a reduction in uninsured children.

Given the census numbers, Bush should reconsider his position.

The increased numbers of uninsured children also arrive as the Bush administration has added new rules requiring a one-year waiting period for children who have lost their private health insurance coverage. That will surely add to, not reduce, the numbers of uninsured children. That is the wrong direction. Bush and Congress should reverse it.

This nation should not ignore millions of kids who go without regular doctor visits and medicines because their parents don't get insurance through their jobs and can't afford to buy it on their own. That's why the president should sign a bill that renews — and expands — SCHIP.

— Sacramento Bee

Here's an elementary rule for presidential campaigning that Sen. Hillary Clinton was wise to obey: When you discover one of your major donors is a fugitive who skipped out on a three-year prison term, give his money back.So it goes with Norman Hsu, a Democratic fund-raiser with a special affinity for Clinton and a penchant for elusiveness. He co-hosted a Los Angeles event at the home of billionaire Ron Burkle that raked in $1 million for Clinton. Hsu has given her $23,000 of his own money. He is also a bundler, pulling together contributions from others, and has pledged to raise more than $100,000 for Clinton's campaign.Oh, and one other thing. California authorities have been searching for Hsu for 15 years, ever since he pleaded no contest to a grand-theft charge in connection with an investment scheme and agreed to serve up to three years in prison. Hsu's lawyer told the Los Angeles Times his client has no memory of entering such a plea. Go figure.Hsu has been out and about as a businessman and political money machine. According to the Wall Street Journal, he once listed his address as a house near San Francisco. The place is occupied by the family of a postal worker that has somehow managed to give $200,000 to Democratic candidates — including $45,000 to Clinton — since 2005.It's time for Hsu to pay his debt to society. And Clinton was right Wednesday to give his $23,000 to charity.<B><I> — New York Daily News</B></I>