All That and A Bag of SCHIPs

It might be his Weekus Horribilis, but President Obama did a fabulilis thing today in reauthorizing SCHIP, the State Children's Health Insurance Program. SCHIP provides coverage to 11 million otherwise-uninsured American children, and who can be against that?

Oh--that's right--Republicans. Here comes the science: "SCHIP was created more than a decade ago to help children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private coverage. Federal money for the program was set to expire March 31, barring action by Congress. To cover the increase in spending, the bill would boost the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes by 62 cents, to $1.01 a pack." So they are concerned that smokers--mostly poor folks--will help foot the bill. Their bigger concern, however, is that middle class children will be covered as well as poor children. It is--as the WSJ so wittily phrased it--"stealthcare." Those libbruls are tryin' ta give children free healthcare without lettin' us kill it in committee! That's unAmerican!

Again, the Pubs just don't get it. An estimated 4 million Americans have lost their jobs and their healthcare. This seems like a no-brainer to me. Or, as my friend who now holds elective office (and so will remain nameless so as not to be besmirched by his association with a moronic and smutty blog) says: "It's like sunshine vs. cancer, and they're for cancer." I sure hope they've got insurance.