Indiana v. Obama

Are Indiana and the Obama administration facing off in a big game of chicken over Planned Parenthood Medcaid funding?

Is Indiana willing to risk $4.3 billion in Medicaid money to strike a blow for the right-to-life movement? Some conservative members of Republican-controlled legislatures argue it's time for states to risk serious penalties to defend their principles and throw off federal mandates. And the Medicaid program, with its rising costs and strict rules, has been a particular target of ire.

Is the Obama administration actually willing to leave low-income families without health care to punish a defiant state?

"Like any game of chicken, it's about who blinks first," said Ed Haislmaier, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation's Center for Health Policy, a conservative think-tank.....

The White House and HHS "have made the decision they are willing to drive those stakes that much higher at the risk of poor people's health," said Sue Swayze, legislative director of Indiana Right to Life, which is supporting the Indiana law.

Carrying out the threat could be difficult, Haislmaier said.

"From a political standpoint it is interesting whether the Obama administration has really thought through the implications," he said.