Rejectionists

My first reaction to news that some Republican governors would decline to participate in the Medicaid expansion provisions of the Affordable Care Act was that that the motherfuckers were just trying sabotage what they couldn't kill in Congress or the courts.  Jeezuz guys, this is a national program and you are (supposedly) a responsible public official, so do your fucking job and make it work!  Without state participation in Medicaid expansion, many of the 30 million Americans newly insured by the ACA actually will not be insured.  Last week's Supreme Court decision gave states the right to refuse the deal and it looks like Republicans will use that option.

On second, somewhat more sober thought, maybe the Republican governors are just continuing the debate about health care and how to finance it.  If the Republican governors succeed in denying health care to enough people, the ACA will have failed and we will just have to come up with something that does work.

I doubt if those rejectionist Republican governors wanted to restart the health care debate.  I think they are trying to kill what, for all of its flaws, is a public response to a critical public problem.  But all they can kill or sabotage is this particular scheme.  The need will still be there.

So will the Public Option.