Supreme Court turns to key constitutional issue in health-care law

[alp227]

Source: Washington Post

The Supreme Court’s conservative justices appeared deeply skeptical that the Constitution gives Congress the power to compel Americans to either purchase health insurance or pay a penalty, as the court completed two hours of debate Tuesday on the key component of the nation’s health-care overhaul law.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, traditionally the justice most likely to side with the court’s liberals, suggested that the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act invoked a power “beyond what our cases allow” the Congress to wield in regulating interstate commerce.

“Can you create commerce in order to regulate it?” he asked.

The arguments revealed a familiar alignment of the court. Its four liberal justices, appointed by Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, supported the government’s argument. But one of the five conservatives appointed by Republican presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush would be needed to uphold the act, and all at some point resisted the government’s position. Their sharp questioning raised doubts about whether the individual insurance mandate could survive the Supreme Court’s historic review.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-considers-main-constitutional-question-in-health-care-law/2012/03/26/gIQAkyKWdS_singlePage.html

[DonCoquixote]

1. Thanks nader

But one of the five conservatives appointed by Republican presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush would be needed to uphold the act, and all at some point resisted the government’s position. Their sharp questioning raised doubts about whether the individual insurance mandate could survive the Supreme Court’s historic review.


In other words, you folks that voted for nader and allowed W to take the Oval office, thanks a lot.

[pnwmom]

7. Single-payer never had a chance. Nothing proposed by Obama did, in retrospect.

This was basically the Rethugs own proposal, dating back for decades -- and even it could barely squeak past the Senate.

[pnwmom]

10. What would we have accomplished? Other than showing that we couldn't get the votes?

[Thrill]

11. Then you would have had nothing

No changes at all. Not even some of the good stuff in the bill. The Single Payer supporters never want to face the reality that, you wouldn't even get 40 Democrats in that Senate to support it. None of the conservadems would have stepped up.

[FBaggins]

4. I doubt you're hurting Nader's feelings...

...since he opposes "Obamacare".

[DonCoquixote]

6. I am sure I am not

And why should he since he and his friends Arriana Huffington and Jane Hamsher are all cashing fat paychecks from the right?

[karynnj]

25. However, the same holds true for Citizen's united

[graham4anything]

20. Yup. Nader's words biggest lie of all time

Nader lied.
big time.

SCOTUS proves time and again Bush/Gore not one and the same. Bush/Kerry not one and the same. Obama/McCain not one and the same.

complete 100% lie by the man with the big ego, Ralph Nader.

all it would have taken was NH and then Florida would not have mattered.

[panzerfaust]

22. Au Contraire: Thanks Obama

He is the one who backed away from the model of health care used by the rest of the civilized world: Government PAID Healthcare.

He is the one who thought it a Grand Compromise to force people to buy something they did not necessarily want from the same rapacious companies who own our government lock, stock, and barrel.

I agree with conservatives on this: It is not just that the government can force you to buy something you do not want, from companies whom you may hate.

The principled course, the right course, would have been not to have caved on the government being the ultimate single-source payer for at least catastrophic medical conditions.

Oh, and please to remember, Gore did not lose the election - he lost the court case. Nothing to do with people voting their conscience by voting for Nader.

If more people would vote for what they actually believe, I think we would have a more just government - instead of one run for and by corporations and their lackeys (and, yes, I am looking at you President Obama).

[DonCoquixote]

23. The numbers do not lie

we lost by 527 votes. There are some weddings that do not have 527 people. When the naderites in Florida voted their "conscience" , which really was more often then not their EGO, they gave this state to the GOP.

You can keep saying it was wrong, and none of that will make it any less true.

[karynnj]

26. If you recounted the entire state, Gore would have won

The state of Florida also intentionally used a TX company to create a "felons" list that included thousands of blacks never even accused of a felony - and th9is was found out before the election and used anyway.

However, Nader made it closer than it would have been otherwise. Not to mention, Nader was responsible for losing NH. (Though Gore selecting Kerry instead of Lieberman would have very likely held that state - and as he likely would have been as good as he always is - he would have shown Cheney to be as unacceptable as Palin was thought to be - not for lack of intelligence, but for lack of heart.

[DonCoquixote]

27. Florida

Oh we well know that Jeb was going to hand the state over. It says a lot that, for all the trickery, it got down to 527 votes. But on the other hand, when people say "the vote does not count" I have to make them focus on this instance where it is flataly not true.

527 people in the State of Florida is barely enough to fill a park.

[Iliyah]

3. LOL

All is not lost, either way, HCR will survive!

Even the not to bright tea brats know that.

[Kokonoe]

5. It will be constitutional. I Know.

(1) Because I want it to fail.

(2) Insurance companies wrote it.

(3) Also I'm sure that Top Republicans are reading this and do the opposite of anything I want.

So don't worry about it.

If I'm wrong single payer is just around the corner,

but we need lots of DRAMA FOR OBAMA to make it happen.

[pnwmom]

8. I think you're wrong on both counts. The SCOTUS will throw it out

and single payer will be dead for decades. Instead, we'll move to something like Ryan's coupon care, after the Rethugs take over next fall.

[BlueToTheBone]

14. you sound tired, and sad

It's been a long hard slog and it isn't over. Rest up. You'll feel more confident later this spring. Then get out and work for what ever progressive Democratic candidate you can. We can win. Don't give up.

[pnwmom]

21. You're right -- and I'm very worried.

I have a personal stake in this working out, because I have a child with a serious pre-condition and another who gets insurance through my husband's work.

I will certainly be out there doing what I can. At this point, that means writing checks -- and there will be more.

[Kablooie]

18. The insurance companies win either way.

If it wins everyone must buy insurance which the companies like.
If it fails they will petition Congress to kill the whole thing because they will go out of business.
Congress will do as they are told this time. Even if it's an all Democratic Congress.

Yes single payer is a better option overall but I don't expect it to get any traction.
The insurance companies have plenty of lobbyists to insure that they remain in business.

Either this thing flies or we are back to exactly where we were before the whole thing started with people who can't get insurance and many of those that do losing everything they own to medical costs.

[DonCoquixote]

28. Drama for Obama eh?

And let me guess, if that drama backfires, you will say that said drama had nothign to do with president Romney winning, right?

There is a difference between kepping pressure on the president to lean left, and making it clear that you are wanting Drama for drama's sake. Drama is easy, thinking is hard.

[valerief]

15. We can only hope the correct justices will expire very, very soon. nt

[Kablooie]

19. The oldest are all liberal. The conservatives are a young spritely group.

[Iliyah]

16. Health Care for a whole lot

of women and their children will be affected if the non-caring justices do decide to stop it and believe me, the women of America will decide the November elections.

Y'know 5 men deciding women's health fate hopefully will destroy the party of no.

[Marthe48]

17. About the cell phone remark from Roberts

The State of Ohio has HB 271, to stop requiring phone companies, in areas with competition, to supply landlines, "so the communication companies can use their resources to improve technology." Nine (9) other states already passed this kind of legislation. So yeah, Roberts, the government can cozy up to big business and make you buy a cell phone, and pay more for phone service. Just like with health insurance.

http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/167925/Groups-oppose-Ohio-bill-to-drop-landline-services-.html?isap=1&nav=5018

[lovuian]

24. We make a new proposal Healthcare for all

and make it THE BIGGEST ISSUE in the Election

It will return