Just Say “No” … and then change your mind

This week, Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona sold out. Actually, the sell-out happened in January. It simply became highly visible this week. After numerous public repetitions of railing against the /Obama administration’s profligate spending and denouncing
/Obamacare as more reckless spending and not in the best interests of the people of Arizona and the American people at large, Arizona’s governor changed her mind in January and announced she would be in favor of the federal Medicaid expansion program.

Earlier this week, using strong arm tactics /Obama himself would be proud of, she refused to sign any bills placed before her for the last month until the State Legislature agreed to pass a budget incorporating the federal dollars promised during the first three years after /Obamacare goes into effect and then ordered a special hold-over session when she did not get her way.

Her reasoning? (paraphrasing here): Well, somebody is going to get those dollars. It might as well be the state of Arizona. Now that’s principle for you!

Read the interview here (Also heard as a direct quote in an interview done on radio station KFYI in Phoenix that I cannot find a transcript for at the moment)

18 months ago, the picture of Governor Brewer standing on the tarmac with the president, her finger thrust in his face just inches from his nose, looking as if they were going to come to blows was broadly circulated. As it turns out, they must have only been discussing the best place to go have a beer.

Governor Brewer says "this was the right thing to do" and "it won’t cost the state of Arizona a penny for the first three years". No word yet on what the plans might be to pay for it for every year after those first three years.

==== Related =====

For a brief history of other Medicaid expansions: The future of Medicaid expansion is Arizona’s past

==== Correction ===
Formatting and typo fix, 06/15/2013 4:30 PM MST