President Bush cited the recent defeat of a plan to fund children's health care in Oregon with tobacco taxes to claim that voters don't want tax increases, the Associated Press reported Nov. 13.

Oregon's Measure 50, which would have raised the state tobacco tax by 84.5 cents per pack, was defeated by a 59-41 margin after a $12-million opposition campaign mounted by the tobacco industry.

"We had some interesting results at the ballot box last week. In the state of Oregon, voters rejected the plan to raise tobacco taxes to further enlarge a government health program," Bush said during a speech in Louisville, Ky.

Supporters of Measure 50 said it was the massive negative ad campaign that resulted in the defeat, not voter opposition to tobacco taxes. "The defeat of Measure 50 was not about children's health care -- it was about the power of money," said Democratic Rep. David Wu of Oregon. "Big tobacco companies spent $12 million -- $24 dollars per vote -- to change the subject. It was enough money to convince voters that it is bad to change a state constitution, and that the money would not be spent on health care."

But Bush, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and other Republicans plan to use the Oregon vote as ammunition in arguing against a bill in Congress that would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program by raising federal tobacco taxes. "The question I have is, if voters were opposed to Measure 50 why would they like its twin sister that we're considering here?" Walden said.

Bush vetoed a previous version of the SCHIP bill, citing its cost. He reportedly called Walden after the Nov. 6 ballot to congratulate him on Measure 50's defeat.

 "When the voters were given a chance, they voted such a plan down in the state of Oregon," Bush said in Louisville.