Swing State: Dem Governor Signs Law Blocking ObamaCare

When they first rammed ObamaCare through Congress, Democrats predicted that Americans would come to love the new law over time. Nancy Pelosi explained that Congress simply needed to pass the law so we could find out what’s in it. David Axelrod predicted, “health care, over time, is going to become more popular.” It hasn’t quite happened that way. 

For evidence of how unpopular ObamaCare has become look to the swing state of New Hampshire. Today, John Lynch, Democrat governor of the state signed into law legislation prohibiting the state from establishing state health insurance exchanges, as called for in ObamaCare. 

Gov. John Lynch this week signed into law legislation prohibiting state agencies from setting up a state-based insurance exchange as called for in President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, but allowing the state to cooperate with the federal government in the creation of a federal exchange.

Under ObamaCare, the federal government will set up its own exchange, which can be used by citizens if there isn’t a state exchange. The legislation, however, directs state agencies to do the least amount of work possible in cooperating with the feds on a federal exchange. 

The surprising thing is that Lynch signed the law. He could have let the bill become law without his signature. He seems to have calculated that such a law would be very popular and watched to snatch a bit of credit for it. 

Pundits have expected Obama to dominate the vote in New Hampshire, where he easily beat McCain in 2008. But, with the state’s top Democrat running away from his signature issue, Obama would be wise not to take it for granted.