Ironic politics in Maine hospital debt debate  Posted April 30,
2013, at 12:04 p.m.  Maine’s continuing hospital debt dispute
demonstrates the often befuddling, contradictory political
process of creating legislation. But the latest twist might just
provide the political cover Gov. Paul LePage needs to allow
Medicaid expansion to go forward.  Think of what could have been
accomplished if it had been politically possible for Democratic
and Republican lawmakers to meet with LePage months ago and
negotiate a plan to repay the hospital debt, issue a new liquor
contract and expand Medicaid. It may have looked like what the
Democrats are now proposing: Pay the hospitals the debt they are
owed by issuing revenue bonds backed by the state’s future
liquor revenue (LePage’s idea) and agree to expand Medicaid
under the Affordable Care Act (mostly supported publicly by
Democrats).  Yet the resistance has been fierce. LePage called
the Democrats ’ proposal an “ultimatum,” “a sin” and “criminal.”
House Minority Leader Ken