If passed, the new SCHIP-on-steroids program would reportedly add an additional 4 million kids from supposedly low-income families to its rolls. Problem is, the Democrats are redefining what constitutes ?low income.? In fact, families making up to $83,000 a year would now qualify for Super-SCHIP. The inevitable result will be families perfectly able to afford health insurance dropping their private policies and hopping onto the new taxpayer-funded government health insurance gravy train. All aboard!

Oh, and if that?s not enough, there?s a huge tax hike included (of course) in the Democrats? plan to pay for it all, plus critics say the new program could end up actually providing taxpayer-funded health insurance to illegal aliens.

For all of these reasons and more, Republican President Bush has promised to veto the bill if it reaches his desk, as well he should. If Democrats were interested in providing health insurance to poor kids and not in scoring political points while growing government bigger, they could have simply re-authorized the current program. But that?s not what they?re all about. They?re Democrats. By definition that means raising taxes to make government bigger, more expensive and more intrusive in the private lives of American citizens.