Won't anybody think of the children?

So the Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of expanding the program that provides health coverage to children from low-income families. The problem, is that even though 19 Republican senators supported the bill, Dubya appears likely to veto it, calling it a "big government bill" (nevermind the fact that he's been running huge budget deficits for the last six years and flushing billions down the toilet that is the Iraq war).

The curious aspect of this whole debate is how it relates to what everyone seems to feel is the inevitablity of socialized medicine in this country.

For instance, many on the left have adopted a position of "lets watch the politicians and insurance companies piss so many people off that they eventually demand universal single-payer healthcare." It's the whole "let it break down" position. You let your opponents neglect something for so long that an opposite reaction eventually occurs.

So while some of the dimmer Republicans like John Cornyn of Texas grouse that this bill is a step toward socialized medicine, the more astute ones (like Sen. Bob Corker) realize that a small compromise such as this one will actually delay a radical reorganization of healthcare and preserve the status quo.

Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee, said those fears were unfounded.

“What will move our country toward socialized medicine is not this bill, which focuses on poor children, but the lack of action to allow people in need to have access to private affordable health care,” Mr. Corker said.