Democrats Throw Frosts under the bus (again)

The Democrats, having dragged the Frost family into the limelight, and then brutally attacked them, calling their 12-year-old son "brain-damaged", have now decided that the Frosts are too rich and too much like a conservative family, like sending their children to private school, and have thrown them under the bus.

Replacing the Frosts is the Wilkerson family, which better embodies the democratic ideal, meaning they make less money than the Frosts, don't own property, drive a beat-up car instead of a nice new SUV, and send their kids to public school.

From the Politico via QandO:

This week, Democrats have brought forth the Wilkerson family, whose two-year old daughter Bethany is covered by SCHIP and had life-saving heart surgery when she was an infant. On Monday the Wilkerson family held a conference call, sponsored by USAction, a liberal grassroots advocacy group lobbying in favor of the $35 billion SCHIP expansion.

For the record, the Bo and Dara Wilkerson say they make $34,000 in combined income from restaurant jobs in St. Petersburg, Fla. They rent their house and the couple owns one car, which Bo calls "a junker."
...
"We rent a house, we have one car that is a junker. Let them dig away," Bo Wilkerson said. "I have $67 in my checking account. Does that answer your question?"

I'm guessing Bethany won't be doing a national radio address.

As McQ of QandO notes:

Sounds like a family for which the program was originally designed. And lo and behold they've already used it. Under the present law their child would remain covered.

Question: How do to the Wilkersons argue for the expansion of the program that the Democrats are trying ram through that could include families 400% over the poverty level and "children" who are 25? They don't.

The Wilkersons qualified for the existing SCHIP program, as did the Frosts. And just like the Frosts, the Wilkersons are being held hostage by the Democrats, who have prevented the re-authorization of the SCHIP program covering these two families, in order to blackmail politicians into voting for an unwarranted expansion of the program -- an expansion the Democrats can't sell on it's merits.

If the Democrats were honest, they would bring out families who do NOT qualify for SCHIP but would qualify for the Democrat's unnecessary expansion. But given the reaction to the Frost family, I don't expect that Harry Reid wants to bring out even more well-to-do people and argue that poor smokers should have to pay to give them health care.

One thing is clear -- contrary to the delisions of the liberal bloggers, the truth of the Frost Family was NOT good for those who want to expand SCHIPs. The leadership now all but acknowledges they can't override the veto, and are pledging instead to bring the bill back.

I suggest they start by passing the Bush bill, which would restore the SCHIP program for families like the Frosts and the Wilkersons. Let's not hold the neediest among us as human shields or bargaining chips.

After we re-authorize the Republican program, then the Democrats can do something that is rare for them, debate the expansion of the program on the MERITS, rather than threatening to withhold necessary care from poor people to get their way.