Paul Krugman: A War on the Poor

John Kasich, the Republican governor of Ohio, has done some surprising things lately. First, he did
an end run around his state’s Legislature — controlled by his own party — to proceed with the
federally funded expansion of Medicaid that is an important piece of Obamacare. Then, defending
his action, he let loose on his political allies, declaring, “I’m concerned about the fact there seems
to be a war on the poor. That, if you’re poor, somehow you’re shiftless and lazy.”

Obviously Mr. Kasich isn’t the first to make this observation. But the fact that it’s coming from a
Republican in good standing (although maybe not anymore), indeed someone who used to be
known as a conservative firebrand, is telling. Republican hostility toward the poor and unfortunate
has now reached such a fever pitch that the party doesn’t really stand for anything else — and only
willfully blind observers can fail to see that reality.