A strangely inept Bush soundbite on SCHIP

President Bush's soundbite on why he opposes SCHIP expansion is strangely inept:

President Bush has threatened to veto what he sees as a huge expansion of the children’s health care program, which he describes as a step “down the path to government-run health care for every American.”

It's funny to denounce your opponents for taking a step toward "health care for every American." Not universal health care! Nooooo!

Of course, Bush is trying to scare people by using the phrase "government-run health care," which implies (falsely) that Americans would be in a government-operated system. In fact, SCHIP is a program that offers health coverage through the states to children in relatively low-income families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. (See this CBPP analysis for more on the administration's misleading claims.)

Still, this seems like a case where Bush's sincere ideological opposition to expanding government coverage led him to blurt out the truth -- he really doesn't want health care for every American if it means the coverage is provided by the government.

Comments

[Porkopolis]

It can be argued that SCHIP is a socialized medicine trojan horse.

For a program targeted at children (SCHIP: State Children's Health Insurance Program) the states and feds found a way to insure 639,000 adults as well.

There are also Freakonomics-like unintended consequences that come about when public policy expands benefits to individuals that could otherwise afford them via the private sector.

[Dan]

> It can be argued that SCHIP is a socialized medicine trojan horse.

Sure... Except, rather than being sacked in the night by the Greek army, Americans will wake up to find everyone has health coverage.

Horrible, horrible health coverage.

[Porkopolis]

More food for thought: Michigan State Children's Health Insurance Program Has More Adults Than Children In The Program.