The Scotsman cartoon: Obamacare and the US shutdown

A key component of Barack Obama’s landmark health care overhaul has begun despite the federal government shutdown sparked by Republicans trying to derail the law designed to extend insurance coverage to millions of Americans.

The Scotsman cartoon, 02/10/13

People will be able to shop for the first time on insurance marketplaces that open around the US, getting their first close look at “Obamacare” - the programme at the centre of the political storm in Washington.

The online insurance exchanges open after months of buildup as President Obama and his allies tried to convince sceptical Americans of the merits of the plan that could define his legacy.

Republicans have seized on a list of technical glitches and delays that have emerged as evidence the law is not ready to work and will never be. But the White House said that was true for any big, new programme and will not affect the outcome, since Americans have six months to enrol through the exchanges.

Illustration by Iain Green