As flips go…

…this one's a flop. SCHIP passed the House again, by a vote of 289 to 139, which is 16 more votes than it got for an unsuccessful veto override in the fall of '07. Nate Silver found a couple Republicans among 'nayes' this time who were supporters of the pre-election override effort, including…

Cathy McMorris-Rodgers from eastern Washington state, an up-and-comer who just became vice chair of the House Republican Conference.

McMorris-Rodgers post-election conversion on this issue is particularly egregious given the cuts in our state's health coverage for low income kids as our antiquated, regressive revenue system fails us once again. I suppose her step forward in her caucus requires toeing a tighter partisan line, but is the suffering of sick kids worth a promotion in the legislative bureaucracy of a fading minority party? Is being a GOP up and comer worth creating a generation of health care down and outers?