Obama's Healthcare Flexibility is Really Federal Health Care Expansion

Those rascally Republicans have all but forgotten about their promise to repeal Obamacare. They did their vote and then they got quiet. Meanwhile, behind closed doors, the evil mad scientist known as Barack Obama began wondering how he could expand Obamacare, and it appears he is going to do it by acting like he cares about states rights. Remember, Obama told the states they could opt out providing they come up with something that meets the goals of Obamacare. The Politico reports today something more sinister is happening behind closed doors.

A source on a White House conference call with liberal allies this morning says the Administration is presenting it to Democrats as an opportunity to offer more expansive health care plans than the one Congress passed.

You didn't think Obama was going to give up the idea of full socialist single-payer healthcare in American did you? Sound the death panel warnings, the current version of Obamacare will soon be dead, and Obama has plans to replace it while the Republicans twiddle their thumbs.

The source on the call summarizes the officials' point -- which is not one the Administration has sought to make publically -- as casting the new "flexibility" language as an opportunity to try more progressive, not less expansive, approaches on the state level.

"They are trying to split the baby here: on one hand tell supporters this is good for their pet issues, versus a message for the general public that the POTUS is responding to what he is hearing and that he is being sensible," the source emails. (This CNN story reflects the public presentation.)

Much of the debate now focuses on the federal government's power, and perhaps health care legislation's critics wouldn't object to single payer -- in Vermont.

There you go. The end game has been exposed of Obama's new flexibility. That didn't take long, but who is surprised?