Its probably too much to expect that life is worth defending enough that NO REPUBLICAN, at least based on the platform would allow an expansion of a program that has high costs and promotes the killing of the unborn.

Maybe my expectations are too high for the intellectual integrity of our legislators who can disassociate their stated beliefs long enough to capitulate with the insanity from across the aisle.

Perhaps free markets DO WORK, not in the real world; but rather in the legislatures where a vote carries a value and can be traded for another of same value?  One legislator sends me this:

"I see a lot of horse trading across the board. Not what I learned on high school !"

Thanks a bunch Greg.

He then argues:"

MacMaster bids to preserve state's autonomy

Amendment attempted separating Medicaid expansion bill from `Obamacare'

State Rep. Greg MacMaster made the following statement after his amendment to House Bill 4714 to separate Michigan's Medicaid expansion from "Obamacare" was not included in the final version approved by the House today:

"Recognizing that this bill could become law in Michigan, I wanted to exhaust every effort to eliminate the implementation of Obamacare in our state by ensuring in very strong and clear terms that NOTHING can be construed in this reform as creating a Michigan benefit exchange connected to the federal Affordable Care Act.

"It also would have made very clear that IN NO WAY does the passage of this act convey ANY additional power or authority in terms of establishing or authorizing a state benefit exchange that does not currently exist today.

"The bottom line here for me is that I do not and never will support a state exchange and my goal is to make certain that this bill does not do anything to so much as suggest that this legislature intends to move in that direction.""

All the while "fighting to stop Obamacare", they are fully embracing the shackles it carries.  A point that must be repeatedly mentioned is that if the state does NOTHING to accept the money, its citizens are not compelled to be a part of the program.  Its businesses are not subject to the rules, or the penalties.  As it was noted in the previous article by Kevin, by Jack, and by the Wall Street Journal, Acceptance of any federal money with regard to expansion of medicaid and the ACA is the signature and selling of our soul!  Read it again:

"The High Court's precedents say Congress can attach conditions to federal funds, akin to a contract, but Congress cannot use the spending power to force states to sign it.  So while Congress can't commandeer the states to do its bidding, it can offer them more or less any bargain it likes and states have the choice to voluntarily accept the terms or not.  In the case of new Medicaid, the states can now freely take the contract as originally offered: accede to the new program, the free money, and the lack of an opt-out clause."

The devil knows your weaknesses.

The selfish need to have a personal say in how a bill is crafted, to 'make one's mark' and 'be a statesman', and get one's own personal legislation 'allowed' by giving in to the deal making, is simply pride.

I like to be loved just as well as anyone.  I want my preferred legislation to pass, as it rests on the merits of natural law and common sense.  But I am also not afraid to lose.  If my arguments are insufficient to convince others to agree to what should be so agreeable, then I have not done well enough .. yet. But to trade core principles for fluff?

For those who traded their skin (Including Bolger, Callton, Crawford, Denby, Forlini, Foster, Gardon, Haveman, Hobbs, Jacobson, Kesto, Kowall, LaFontaine, Lori, Lyons, MacMaster, McCready, O'Brien, Pagel, Poleski, Price, Pscholka, Rogers, Schmidt, Shirkey, Stamas, Walsh, Yonker, Zorn) on HB4714 for the acceptance and promotion of their personal legislative endeavors, I have three words how well you represent Republican values and principles.

You screwed up.