By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - He's got the demeanor of the low-key bank president he once was. But liberal Democratic Rep. Pete Stark of California knows how to enrage Republicans.

During debate on Thursday in the U.S. House of Representatives on a Democratic-backed bill -- which President George W. Bush vetoed -- to expand health care for children from low-income families, Stark lectured Republicans:

"You don't have money to fund the (Iraq) war or children. But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people -- if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement."

Republicans exploded. Within minutes of Stark's speech, they demanded an apology and a declaration that the congressman's speech be deemed inappropriate.

That request was promptly rejected by Democrats who control the chamber.

Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, the second-ranking Republican in the House, said Stark's comments "crossed all lines of decency and decorum" and said the Californian "ought to be ashamed."

Blunt said Stark's remarks represented a "crass appeal to the worst, most base elements of our population." Blunt did not identify those "elements."

Democrats want to expand the children's health care program, a goal Bush himself favored when he was running for president. But since then, Bush has pushed his version of legislation that actually would insure fewer low-income children than are insured now, according to experts.

Democrats have contrasted the price tag for expanded child health insurance -- $35 billion over five years -- with Iraq war costs, which now run at nearly $10 billion a month.

Referring to Republican complaints about the higher cost of insuring 10 million U.S. children, Stark accused Republicans of fiscal irresponsibility, saying, "They sure don't care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal war in Iraq. Where are you going to get that money?"

Stark was referring to about $190 billion in new funds Bush is asking for to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the coming year. Most of the money will go to Iraq. (additional reporting by Donna Smith)

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