Ohio Governor John Kasich has had an epiphany, but it’s not clear how long this moment of clarity will last.
“I’m concerned about the fact there seems to be a war on the poor,” he said, sitting at the head of a burnished table as members of his cabinet lingered after a meeting. “That if you’re poor, somehow you’re shiftless and lazy.”
“You know what?” he said. “The very people who complain ought to ask their grandparents if they worked at the W.P.A.”
He’s right but, you know, the War on the Poor has been ongoing for quite some time. It’s been ongoing since he was a representative in the 80s and 90s.
That the governor decided to go against his party and expand Medicaid, extending coverage to as many as 275,000 people, is at least one sign that he may be serious.
On the other hand, it’s also possible Kasich is simply trying to avoid being washed out with the bath water.