The mandate, though, has been declared unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause. WOW! Weird.
UPDATE: Very busy collecting reactions from every corner of the economy from CEOs and constitutional professors to nurses, PAs and deck builders.
UPDATE II: A sampling...
From my Constitutional Scholar: "This is actually fascinating. It's a much more fragmented decision that I thought it would be. It's more of a plurality decision... The administration's assertion that this is a penalty and not a tax is semantics. Political speak. We don't want to say there is a tax in this. People don't call things what they are. Yes it is a tax, Although, the solicitor general didn't really argue it. And by the way (according to the court) Congress has the taxing authority to do just this."
From the CEO of a local insurance company: "I am surprised (at the decision) based on what you've been reading in the health related and political journal. From our standpoint, as a company, we haven't had a rooting interest. We'll just keep our head down and continue to do the things we're doing to meet the requirements of the law and better serve our customers.
From the CEO of a for-profit hospice company: "That's it. We're just closing up shop. We're out of business." (He was kidding.) "Yes, found it surprising (but) I don't have any negative reaction. As for the law in general, he said, "I'm wary. Who knows what the consequences that the this law. Are companies going to have a lot of employees with healthcare plans? Probably not. It (the law) is going to change healthcare delivery (in this country) pretty significantly."
But, he added, "I think rich people will be OK."
From a local Emergency Room Physicians Assistant: "I'm happy that it passed and has been legitimized. In my practice see a lot of patients who don't have insurance. (The law will provide) more option in terms of getting coverage and make my job easier in terms of getting follow up medical care for my patients. Instead of coming in the ER that can go to their own provider. It's good for business. Insurance companies are going to be happy. Drug companies are going to be happy because there are going to be more customers.
From a local Emergency Room Nurse: "Disgusting. It's unconstitutional and the Supreme court is wrong... The whole goal of obamacome to eventually come up with a single payer system for the county. The goal is to enlarge government, to bankrupt the insurance industry. Roberts is Benedict Arnold and Obama should be impeached.
From a self-employed construction worker: "I'm flipping out, man. They (the Democrats and Obama) were first saying (the mandate is) not a tax... And frickin' Roberts goes in there and switches the whole thing." For the last several years he said his coverage is getting "worse and worse" while the cost is getting higher and higher.
"It's a bunch of bullcrap, a bunch of lies to make me buy something. And if I don't they're going to fine me."
Look out! Here comes the spin!
ReplyDeleteBut President Obama said it was NOT a tax?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I heard him say that.
ReplyDeleteRomney, Romney, Romney!! Repeal, Repeal, Repeal!!
Proven constitutional by a Supreme Court Justice appointed by Bush. How bout them apples? LMAO
ReplyDeleteSo when does the 'breathe air' tax come into effect?
ReplyDelete1963
ReplyDeleteGuess you missed that one.
ReplyDeleteSpecify
ReplyDeleteClean Air Act. Taxpayers money fighting polution.
ReplyDeleteLets see -
ReplyDeleteBin Laden
Equal pay for women
Ending the war in Iraq
Gas prices are down
Zimmerman is behind bars
Smirconish is replacing Limbaugh
Your candidate is that "anyone but Romney" guy
You guy's arent doing so well, are you?
So when Romney was pushing his health care in Mass., did he refer to it as a tax increase or a mandate? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that Massachusett's health care reform is viewed as a success. If Romney had the cajones to take credit for his success a lot of the misinformation about the ACA would go away.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Blogs/Gooz-News/2012/01/25/The-Health-Care-Story-Romney-Wont-Tell.aspx#page1
But the Republicans don't really care about governing. They care about winning elections.
When Republicans do it, it's a mandate. When Dems do it, it's a tax.
ReplyDeleteThe Romney campaign has pulled in over $4 million since the Supreme Court decision. Repeal and Replace!
ReplyDeleteMaybe that old Republican idea of "taking personal responsibility for your health care" has a way to be fulfilled with the individual mandate. Anyone who CAN afford health insurance needs to take that responsibility. Tax, mandate, suggestion, whatever----lets get Americans the health care they should have and deserve to have. Not asking for free ride for anyone who has any type of income. We ALL need to pay toward our care.
ReplyDeleteJake -He'll need it.
ReplyDeleteMandate - "the personal responsibility principle"
ReplyDeleteMitt Romney
Look up Pyrrhic victory, Bob.
ReplyDeleteBob, First: Welcome back from your long Spring/Summer nap. Your comments on this Spencerblog post make it clear you are back in full form. Second: In true liberal fashion you state: "When Republicans do it, it's a mandate. When Dems do it, it's a tax." But you don't take the time to state what it was that the Republicans did that is equal to the ObamaTax Mandate. I really don't expect anything different since you are a true liberal and you don't feel you have to have any justification for your statement. Because it is what you people do. But please tell us what it was that the Republicans did that was equal to the ObamaTax mandate. You people throw it out on us with facts be damned and hope it will stick. And good luck with looking in the mirror in the morning and being proud. After your posts, it's gotta be hard. But, again, welcome back.
ReplyDeleteRight Jake. Kind of like the election of George Bush.
ReplyDeleteCharles - Romney? Mass.? Remember? Mandate?
ReplyDeleteCharlie two times - Some Republicans had supported a plan with a mandate in the early 1990s as an alternative to a health care plan proposed by then President Bill Clinton. Gingrich was one of them. As for your comment "And good luck with looking in the mirror in the morning and being proud." Go F yourself.
ReplyDeleteJake - "Months later, and after Paterno's death in January 2012, the details of the emails reported by CNN and NBC indicate that perhaps Paterno played a more active role in the situation at Penn State than he had indicated."
ReplyDeleteMore to come. Hero worship at it"s finest.
Bob,
ReplyDeleteWith your blind love of the dog eater, don't you think it's a bit disingenuous to come out against hero worship?
Jake - I wonder how many kids had to suffer because your hero Paterno was covering for a pedophile. Given the choice, I'll take the dog eater, thanks. Just another example of your inability to see the forest through the trees.
ReplyDeleteGet real, Bob. JoePa never needed to hide behind executive privilege.
ReplyDeleteThe murder of United States Border Patrol Agent, Brian Terry, and hundreds of Mexican citizens, is a far worse crime than anything your feeble imagination can make up about JoePa.
Jake - Am I making this up? Looks like your hero JoePa put the interests of his pedophile buddy and the reputation of Penn State above that of Sandusky's victims.
ReplyDeleteYou can't say I didn't tell you so.
No surprise that the liberal academics are immoral. But only gossip and speculation from little people about JoePa.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, Bob, how can you think you are so smart about Penn State, when you are so clueless about the lies of Washington,DC?
The largest tax in American history is not a tax?
The coverup of the worst scandal since Watergate?
The senseless murder of Brian Terry; where's your loyalty to your fellow public sector employee?
Jake - Tax , mandate, I could care less what it's called. The country is moving away from an ailing health care system towards a better system that will provide better care, for more people at a lower cost. It's very similar to the same system that Romney implemented in Mass. It's similar to systems that were proposed in the 90's by Republicans. Including Gingrich. Charles was telling me about the horrible Canadian system. How people are forced to wait long periods for treatment. Guess what? I spoke to one of my "ultra conservative" relatives yesterday. She needs to have a special test because they found something on her thyroid. She was told she has to wait till the end of Sept. to get the test. I spent the weekend with friends in NJ. They are in the process of declaring bankruptcy because of medical bills. So stop whining about laws that will make everyone participate and pay into a system that we will all eventually use.
ReplyDeleteToo bad JoePa thought Sanduskys victims were little people who were less important than the reputatioin of Penn State.
All you public sector drones would like government to get bigger, so your pay and benefits get fatter.
ReplyDeleteThe private sector is not doing fine and the arrogant amateur in the White House is the reason.
Hard to tell which he is ignoring the most, the law or the truth.
Too bad Brian Terry had to be sacrificed on the altar of executive privilege and liberalism.
Jake - Do you realize how stupid you sound? How many cops and innocent civilians have been gunned down by weapons purchased by straw buyers and sold on the street because of liberal gun laws?
ReplyDeleteBTW - Buzz Bissinger is going to be on Hardball tonight to discuss the crumbling of a Penn State legend. Maybe you can run up to Penn State after the show and stand on Paterno's front lawn with your "We love you Joe" sign.
Bissinger - Anyone that thinks Paterno didn't know what was going on is a fool. That would be you Jake. He also says that this cements Paterno as being a coward and a liar. Thats your boy Jake.
ReplyDeleteBob, nothing I've said sounds as stupid as you and the rest of the piss ants trying to soil a great man's name.
ReplyDeleteBuzz Bissinger is a drunk who couldn't hold JoePa's jock.
If Obama and Holder didn't do anything wrong, then why are they hiding behind executive privilege? What did Obama know and when did he know it?
Pray for justice for the family of Brian Terry.
Jake - JoePa is a great man to people like Sandusky. I think Sandusky's victims would have a different opinion of JoePa.
ReplyDeleteAs for Fast and Furious being a Watergate, tell me what laws were broken.
Bob, how about trying espionage and murder? Can I include what the Mexican Government thinks? Treason, Murder, 17 International treaty agreement violations?
ReplyDeleteSince the ATF/DOJ knowingly allowed laws to be broken, and allowed known criminals to cross the border to sell guns without Mexico's knowledge.
No traces placed on 2000 semi auto rifles.
200 to 300 Mexicans murdered by guns the DOJ let walk into a foreign country. One border patrol agent killed in United States by one of those 2000 guns. The gun dealers who were threatened to not tell and were approved to sell the guns by the ATF?
Watergate was a bungled burglary. Fast and Furious is murder, treason, espionage and government cover up.
Danny - No laws were broken with Fast and Furious
ReplyDeleteNobody disputes that ordering a break-in at the Democratic National Committee office in the Watergate hotel was a crime, but what laws were broken in Fast and Furious? asks Katherine Eban at Fortune. A six-month investigation by the magazine has discovered that, contrary to the "distortions, errors, partial truths, and even some outright lies" in the common telling of the Fast and Furious tragedy, the ATF agents running the operation "never purposefully allowed guns to be illegally trafficked. Just the opposite: They say they seized weapons whenever they could." The problem is that much of what they were trying to prevent — "straw" buyers purchasing and giving guns to Mexican cartels — is effectively legal in Arizona and under federal law.
Oh sure Bob, and Obama just invoked executive privilege because he needed Holder to fill ou his golf foursome rather than spend his valuable time testifying before Congress.
ReplyDeleteAt least Fast and Furious has brought bipartisanship to Washington. 17 Democrats joined the Republicans in voting to hold the Attorney General in contempt.
Bob,
ReplyDeleteYou should be very afraid if you believe no laws were broken. Why would you make such shameful comments. Are you saying it is OK for our government, via the ATF, to order legal gun dealers to break the law? That the ATF has the legal power to supply guns, 2000 of them, to drug dealers?
That we don't owe Mexico an explanation for an obvious illegal import/export of 2000 semi automatic rifles?
No laws broken? It would be easier for me to tell you the truth. This entire issue was about Obama/Hillary/BigSis being able to push that 90% of the guns recovered in Mexico were from the US gun dealers. Shameful, shameful, shameful use of a political statement.
In Watergate, Bob, no one died!!
Laws broken? Probably thousands, and executive privilege is keeping us from the truth. WHY? What does Obama know?