Most of the time, the real fight in Washington is not about the immediate topic of dispute. So it is with the President's veto of a bill to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

On the surface, the two sides are battling over whether the program meets a pressing need in a cost-effective way (the Democratic argument.) Or whether SCHIP is really another unfunded government entitlement program that will not help the people it's designed to help (the President's main argument.) The real fight is over the President's reputation for fiscal responsibility and his influence in Washington. If the President can convince conservatives he is battling to control spending -- after years of expanding federal budgets -- then he will have more leverage in negotiating with Democrats in Congress. Also, his veto, if sustained, gives him the ability to shape future policies in a way that is more to his liking.

Finally, this debate is really about the big future -- about the next election and how it will shape health care policy. In that sense, SCHIP is, what one analyst calls, an early salvo in a much more important duel. That's how Washington works: The real fights are all about positioning to win the bigger prize down the road.