Predicted and now delivered.

From the New York Times:

President Obama, who has stood by his landmark health care law through court attacks and legislative efforts to repeal it, told the nation’s governors on Monday that he was willing to amend the measure to give states the ability to opt out of its most controversial requirements right from the start, including the mandate that most people buy insurance.

In remarks to the National Governors Association, Mr. Obama said he supported legislation that would allow states to obtain waivers from the mandate as soon as it took effect in 2014, as long as they could find another way to expand coverage without driving up health care costs. Under the current law, states must wait until 2017 to obtain waivers.

The announcement is the first time Mr. Obama has called for altering a central component of his signature health care law, although he has backed removing a specific tax provision that both parties regard as onerous on business. …

The mandate was always trouble, but especially if Pres. Obama wants support going into 2012. After the midterms it was simply untenable. But it was always stupid politics without the public option and as long as health care monopolies were part of the mix, which Obama made manifest with his back room deals.

Watching Pres. Obama and the Democrats botch the health care concoction they ended up with has been embarrassing. Nothing like ending up negotiating with yourself in the end.

Dr. Howard Dean was right all along and I told you this would happen. It’s fitting that Obama blinked after Bill Daley got in the White House. Nothing like a little Bill Clinton pragmatism up side the head.

It’s fitting here to offer a flashback and let Dr. Howard Dean have the last word. If Democrats had listened to Dean in the first place and left their egos outside the door the health care law would have ended up a much better law. Hey, but why listen to a doctor who has already done it before?