i know republicans did a masterful job of manipulating the public into thinking this is something that it really isn't, but obama has to take some blame for the terrible messaging of the whole thing.
today will be a sad day for a lot of people.
Exactly...the messaging of the Healthcare reform was terrible, particularly on part of the President and the Democrats as a whole. They allowed the GOP to spread lies and deception about things that were going to be a part of the bill (anyone remember death panels?), and focused on passing the bill without worrying about selling the bill first.
The irony is that while a majority of people are opposed to "Obamacare", if you poll on the major provisions that the law helped to change, support for those reforms are overwhelmingly supportive.
Personally, I think the SC will find the mandate unconstitutional, and will leave most of the other parts of the law intact.
I did read that there are some keeping the hope alive that the SC will rule the law constitutional, based partly on Chief Justice Roberts dissent from the Juvenile Sentencing ruling that was released on Monday.
But today's decision invalidates the laws of dozens of legislatures and Congress. This court is not easily led to such a result. See, for example, United States v. Harris [citation] (courts must presume an act of Congress is constitutional "unless the lack of constitutional authority... is clearly demonstrated"). Because the court does not rely on the Eight Amendment's text or or objective evidence of society's standards, it's analysis of precedent alone must bear the "heavy burden [that] rests on those who would attack the judgment of the representatives of the people." Gregg, 428 U.S., at 175. If the court is unwilling to say that precedent compels today's decision, perhaps it should reconsider that decision.
Personally though, I think it's
for the law, because without the mandate there really isn't a mechanism to help drive down costs which was the main point of reform.