“Another one he should veto is the SCHIP program, which he should say ‘Take the C out of, because now it’s for everybody, like every…

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., argues that President Bush was correct to veto legislation to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program because it would allow “everybody” to enroll. If “everybody” qualified for SCHIP and McCain says, there would be no need for private health insurance, Americans would be taking home more money in their paychecks because they wouldn’t have to pay premiums and the federal government would be flat-out bankrupt.

But even in the complex formula for SCHIP eligibility it’s easy to dream up an example of someone who wouldn’t qualify. Say, a single, 25-year-old man, earning $75,000 a year.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines “everybody” as “every person.” The SCHIP bill that Bush vetoed would cover more people than before, but it certainly wouldn’t cover everybody.