A Dick

The lads at LGM think he's a Dick. And they ain't talking about Cheney. Washington Post, via Lawyers, Guns and Money:

"President Bush yesterday rejected entreaties by his Republican allies that he compromise with Democrats on legislation to renew a popular program that provides health coverage to poor children, saying that expanding the program would enlarge the role of the federal government at the expense of private insurance.

The president said he objects on philosophical grounds to a bipartisan Senate proposal to boost the State Children's Health Insurance Program [ed. - aka SCHIP] by $35 billion over five years. Bush has proposed $5 billion in increased funding and has threatened to veto the Senate compromise and a more costly expansion being contemplated in the House."

Bush: No Deal On Children's Health Plan

"'I support the initial intent of the program,' Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post after a factory tour and a discussion on health care with small-business owners in Landover. 'My concern is that when you expand eligibility . . . you're really beginning to open up an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government.'"

"The 10-year-old program, which is set to expire on Sept. 30, costs the federal government $5 billion a year and helps provide health coverage to 6.6 million low-income children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance on their own."

The CBO's take on SCHIP from the commies at CBPP, via Obsidian Wings, via Lawyers, Guns and Money.