AP looks at the SCOTUS opinion on the Affordable Care Act.

[No Elephants]

Jun 28, 11:35 AM EDT

A look at the ruling upholding Obamacare

By CONNIE CASS
Associated Press


WASHINGTON (AP) -- THE RULING:

The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's health care law, including the most disputed part: the mandate that virtually all Americans have health insurance or pay a fine. The mandate was upheld under the federal government's power to levy taxes.

The ruling put some limits on the law's plan to expand the Medicaid insurance program for the poor, a joint effort of the federal government and states. It says the U.S. government cannot threaten to withhold a state's entire Medicaid allotment if it doesn't participate in the expansion.

Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the court's four liberal justices - Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor - to form the 5-4 majority.

Much more at:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPREME_COURT_HEALTH_CARE_GLANCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-06-28-11-35-11

What bs! The Court finds that the commerce clause empowers Congress to fine individuals if they do not buy something from private vendors, but that the commerce clause and the spending clause combined do not allow Congress to penalize a state? :wtf:

This sounds to me more like a legislature making policy decisions than a court making Constitutional decisions.

Also, note the description of the four Democratic appointees as "liberals."

Clearly, all of Scalia, Roberts, Alito and Thomas are conservatives, while Kennedy is a mixed bag.


Equally clearly, not all of Ginsburg (NE genuflects), Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan are liberals (though I am rooting for Ginsburg to convert the others).

I am really tired of the RW habit of pretending all Democrats are liberals.

[No Elephants]

1. For whatever it's worth, I just sent this email to AP

Regarding Ms. Cass's story about the Affordable Care Act
( http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPREME_COURT_HEALTH_CARE_GLANCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-06-28-11-35-11 ):



1. "Obamacare" is a disrespectful term. It belongs only in media that openly acknowledge a right wing bias. It has no place in journalism that aspires to objectivity.


2. Not every Justice appointed to the Supreme Court by a Republican President is a conservative. Similarly, not every Justice appointed to the Supreme Court by a Democratic President is a liberal. Referring to every Democrat as a liberal also evidences a right wing bias. Moreover, it's just plain wrong and silly.


Neither of the above is worthy of Associated Press, which is respected around the world.

Thank you for your attention.

Okay, I am not one of the people around the world who respect AP unconditionally. I do respect the speed with which it gets stories out, though.

However, plenty of people around the world do respect AP unconditionally. So, I wasn't being untruthful.

[Leopolds Ghost]

2. Error: you can only recommend threads...

How can they be liberals (or how can they NOT be partisan hacks)
when they voted down the line on the POS aspects of this bill,
and everything else that has a (conservative) Democratic elected
official endorsing it?

All but one or tywo members of SCOTUS are partisan hacks, in my opinion.

[No Elephants]

3. Ruth Ginsburg should be canonized, IMO. She has been such a force, despite

her tiny size and very poor health that, if she is one of the two Democrats who betrayed us on Medicaid expansion, I would forgive her.