Democrats are trying to implement Obamacare at the state level?

If you think the Supreme Court’s upcoming verdict on Obamacare will be the final word, you’re in for a surprise. Here in Delaware, the Democrats who control the state legislature and governor’s mansion have just floated a bill to mandate single-payer health care in the state. If your state government is controlled by the Democratic Party, brace yourself. It’s clear Democrats have decided that if Obamacare doesn’t survive a federal court test, they’ll battle it out state by state.

Wait, you say, Obamacare didn’t involve single payer. That’s right, the Delaware bill is more extreme than Obamacare. But that’s because it’s meant as a starting point for negotiations. The goal is to provide cover for more moderate Democratic legislators as they “compromise” for something that more closely resembles Obamacare.

Wait, you say, Delaware is itty bitty and politically odd — what with Joe Biden and all that. Yes, but what’s happening here still matters: it’s a domino theory thing. If Delaware enacts its own version of Obamacare, the pressure will be on Governor Martin O’Malley in next-door Maryland to do the same. Ditto for Vermont, Hawaii and other states with governments controlled by Democrats.