....both of which have to do with the program being funded by the most regressive tax in existence, the cigarette tax...

1. It's essentially Robin Hood in reverse.  Households making $30,000 will be disproportionately subsidizing the health care costs of families making $80,000 per year.  On the economic fairness front (which, by the way, Democrats were elected on in 2006), it's little different than another round of Bush tax cuts.

2. Artificially higher prices on cigarettes ensures fewer smokers, which means the tax will yield diminishing returns and face perennial budget shortfalls.  This is the Democrats in Congress being as fiscally irresponsible as George Bush.

SCHIP is worthy of an expansion....but the Congress needs to get serious about paying for it or don't bother.