Mr. Schip strikes out

Posted at 10:04 AM on September 20, 2007 by Bob Collins

I'm going to guess you won't be seeing or hearing any stories this evening on the coming showdown over health care for kids-- the SCHIP debate. President Bush had a news conference this morning (it's going on as I write this) in which he made his point that the program -- which expires at the end of the month and which helps provide money for poor kids to get health care coverage -- should be funded at his level (he says a 20% increase over 5 years) rather than expand it at a level Congress would like (See good story in Atlanta Constitution)

What we've got here, apparently, is a game of chicken between Democrats and Republicans, with the possibility that poor kids get stuck in the middle; with each side -- looking for an election-year issue -- blaming the other side. That's politics.

It seemed like a good story and I half-expected at least one reporter to ask about it further, indicating an interest in covering the issue.

None did, although in the process we got a real good glimpse of how the news process works.

The story is hard to cover. There are easier ones to ask questions about, even though the answer is predictable as rain.

After the president finished his statement, the reporters decided it wasn't an issue worth pursuing (White House reporters tend not to have poor kids for children). Here are the subjects they were interested in (in order).

Rate the chance of recession
Iran
Israeli bombing raids
Are you impatient with Iran?
Reaction to Gates' opinion on Iraq
What about Iran's president wanting to go to the WTC site?
More economy
The Jana 6
Do you miss Don Rumsfeld?
How 'bout the stock market?
Are you an asset or a liability to candidates?

None of these issues is stupid... or unimportant. But couldn't health for kids have gotten on there somewhere?

(Update 10:14) - Someone, it sounded like Cokie Roberts but I doubt it was, asked if he'd support a cigarette tax increase to fund SCHIP. There's hope.

(Update 10:15) - Hope dashed. A lollipop question on the Iraq war was lobbed (apparently the president thinks the war is a war on terror. I can imagine the headlines now).

(Update 10:21) -- President ends his news conference and turns it over to the health and human services secretary to talk about health care for kids and the coming showdown. "We're not going to stick around for that," says the blow-dry on CNN.

If only O.J. were a poor kid without health care.

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