Saturday, June 30, 2012

Doesn't appear anything good will come of Robert's "decision"

Legal Insurrection

VERBATIM POST


There’s not much I can add to what I have already said about the unreality of the reaction to the Obamacare decision by the conservative silver lining crowd.

A growing chorus understands.

John Yoo:

Conservatives are scrambling to salvage something from the decision of their once-great judicial hero….

All this is a hollow hope. The outer limit on the Commerce Clause in Sebelius does not put any other federal law in jeopardy and is undermined by its ruling on the tax power…. The limits on congressional coercion in the case of Medicaid may apply only because the amount of federal funds at risk in that program’s expansion … was so great. If Congress threatens to cut off 5%-10% to force states to obey future federal mandates, will the court strike that down too? Doubtful.

Byron York:

Outside the court, the conservatives who thought they knew Roberts seemed baffled. “For whatever reason, and you’ll have to ask Justice Roberts, he re-wrote the statute,” said Mike Carvin, who argued against Obamacare in the case. “I’m glad he re-wrote the statute rather than the Constitution, but none of it can pass rational scrutiny.”

Mona Charon:

…the Court is tasked with protecting the Constitution and clearly failed to do so here. A key pillar upholding limited government has been kicked away. If the practical result is to energize opposition to President Obama’s reelection, it may turn out to a proverbial blessing in disguise. But there is no point in denying the damage.

Wall Street Journal Editors:

… even the five votes limiting Congress under the Commerce Clause pale against the Chief Justice’s infinitely elastic and dangerous interpretation of the taxing power. Nancy Pelosi famously said we need to pass ObamaCare to find out what’s in it. It turns out we also needed John Roberts to write his appendix.

National Review Editors:

The dissent acknowledges that if an ambiguous law can be read in a way that renders it constitutional, it should be. It distinguishes, though, between construing a law charitably and rewriting it. The latter is what Chief Justice John Roberts has done. If Roberts believes that this tactic avoids damage to the Constitution because it does not stretch the Commerce Clause to justify a mandate, he is mistaken.

2 comments:

  1. From the comments:

    "BannedbytheGuardian | June 30, 2012 at 8:56 pm


    About a week ago there was a thread asking on what terms could the bill be upheld.
    If only posters (& pundits ) would have given it some thought & prepared themselves.

    As it was the conservative reaction was very Elizabeth Kubler -Rossish. Anger -denial -self delusionary rationalization Stage 4 coming up.

    Mitt Romney stayed above the fray & his experience in Masscare showed through. He was quite impressive. Sarah Palin was the most effective attack dog again.

    The 2012 elections are hotting up but in a significantly more diverse & divided atmosphere than 08.

    The qustion is -is this Boston Habour or a port in South Carolina?"

    At this point in time I would accept either or a hybrid of the two examples as a catalyst. Our release from indentured servitude to the State is long overdue.

    RS

    ReplyDelete
  2. The question is -is this Boston Habour or a port in South Carolina?"

    At this point in time I would accept either or a hybrid of the two examples as a catalyst. Our release from indentured servitude to the State is long overdue.

    Absolutely.

    ReplyDelete