If I see one more person on the internets suggest that perhaps Justice Roberts is being clever and outwitted the Dems by using a tax justification instead of the Commerce Clause I will scream.
Stop. Please stop.
People, the progressives just reached out from Congress to force you (force you) to enter into a private contract against your will and they didn’t even need the Commerce clause or the good ‘n plenty clause to do it. If they can do this all without even the need or pretense to use the Commerce Clause, there is almost nothing they cannot do.
Justice Roberts is not being clever, he is being craven. You liberty is gone, you just haven’t felt the effects yet.
See why in my follow up post “Today’s Decision Supports the HHS Mandate”
June 28, 2012 at 8:20 pm
I don't necessarily see anything wrong with looking at the bright side of a terrible decision by Chief Justice Roberts. Also, I'm not so sure Roberts didn't leave the door open to challenge the mandate as a constitutionally valid tax. Far as I can tell, all Roberts basically said was the mandate may be reasonably viewed as a tax. As to whether the mandate **as a tax** is constitutional was not something that was before the court or addressed by Roberts.
June 28, 2012 at 8:23 pm
For the record, I disagree with the "snivelly whiner" remark above. I don't think your post even approaches hyperbole.
June 28, 2012 at 8:29 pm
I'm curious sir, is the insurance mandate, outside of all other considerations, in and of itself, immoral?
What if the contraceptive mandate lawsuit succeeds? What if all that is repugnant about this law (namely mandated abortion/contraception services) is repealed?
Granted, there are viable economic concerns, and viable concerns about the reach and size of federal government. But if that is it, there surely is more freedom for difference of opinion and more serene debate. The economic state of a country, IMHO, is in God's hands.
As this bill now stands, today's events are a disappointment. But the fight for what is truly repugnant about this is still ongoing. Let us pray that succeeds. If that no longer poisoning the water, we can look at this a lot more serenely.
June 28, 2012 at 8:30 pm
I agree with Brother Andre Marie, You seem remarkably calm and understated in your postings about this travesty.
June 28, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Patrick – that is a ridiculous bold-faced lie. You expect us to believe that you haven't screamed yet?! 😉
UTP
June 28, 2012 at 8:39 pm
I think it's also worth keeping in mind that Roberts effectively made Obama and congressional Democrats own the largest tax hike in history on ALL Americans. There's a reason why Obama didn't want to call the mandate a tax. Now he can't avoid it, and he should politically suffer.
June 28, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Conservatives are fooling themselves if they think there is any silver lining in this decision. The Chief Justice just expanded the power of the federal government, while merely holding the line on the Commerce Clause.
If you're interested, I should have a post up at TAC after 5 that details why,
June 28, 2012 at 9:15 pm
Does anyone know if the bishops have released a statement yet? How will this affect the lawsuits brought on by the 43 dioceses?
June 28, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Amen. Patrick. You are absolutelt correct.
June 28, 2012 at 10:42 pm
The conservatives defending Justice Roberts are trapped in the first stage of receiving bad news: denial. It will stop eventually.
June 28, 2012 at 11:55 pm
Don't taxes have to originate in the House? This bill was generated by the Senate.
June 29, 2012 at 12:30 am
At first, I thought that Justice Roberts was being a weenie or too cutesy.
But on second thought, perhaps he is just putting it back into the lap of Congress and the American people, saying, in effect, that if you want to get rid of the law, or if you want to rewrite it, get rid of Obama and Democrats in Congress, and replace them with conservative Republicans who will implement those changes. That's a no brainer.
June 29, 2012 at 12:42 am
Nancy Pelosi lied. She said that it was [not] a tax.
With Obamacare, taxes for the middle class [will be] increased substantially to provide more entitlements for lazy bums, deadbeats, freeloaders and parasites.
As if it isn't exasperating enough that, already, 40% of the people are pulling the wagon, and the other 60% are getting a free ride.
Let's face it: The majority of the people in this country are immoral. Liberals are an embodiment of all of that which is evil. I have only contempt for most of my fellow Americans. (spit)
June 29, 2012 at 12:56 am
G'lover has showed his colors
June 29, 2012 at 4:07 am
If I encountered John Roberts at this point I would not shake his hand. This is simply appalling. Add to this the fact that Obama is going to be re-elected, and our nation as it once was has effectively been destroyed.
I am actually questioning the decision to try to bear children at this point. If I could go back in time I would strongly consider not having made the life choices I have but instead just living out the rest of my life in a monestary and just finding a way to tolerate the rest of my days.
June 29, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Oh Good Lord! Conservatives need to man up. This decision is a Godsend for conservatives politically. Obamacare remains immensely unpopular and now the only way to stop it is to defeat Obama in November. The Romney campaign raised over 3.2 million dollars in contributions after the announcement of the decision yesterday. This decision will be a millstone around the Obama campaign's neck. However, for those conservatives who are only happy when they are miserable, please feel free to wallow in pessimism while the rest of us work to ensure that both Obama and Obamacare go down in flames come election day.
June 29, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Obama & Obamacare may die (politically) as a result of this. But it seems we now have a Court precedent that gives the official "okie-dokie" for unlimited taxation.
The United States of America sure was nice while it lasted. But all good things come to an end.
June 29, 2012 at 3:06 pm
People say that Justice Roberts lobbed this back into the laps of Congress and is forcing them to deal with it as they should've all along. I get that but it feels like he strolled past a drowning man and walked a mile to sternly say to the nearest life guard "You deal with it."
June 29, 2012 at 3:10 pm
The Bushs sure know how to pick 'em. First David Suiter and now John Roberts. Never mind their other bungling. What a pair of putzes.
Americans consistently pick jackasses as their Presidents and as their other leaders. Americans, collectively, are jackasses themselves. I'm so disgusted with them.
June 29, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Dymphna, excellent commentary, Well put. Wish I'd said that. 🙂