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TPM: The snap reactions to today’s Supreme Court arguments about the constitutionality of the health care law’s individual mandate gave reform supporters a collective case of heartburn. The conservative justices seemed broadly hostile to the law’s requirement that everyone carry health insurance. President Obama’s Solicitor General, Donald Verrilli, was widely panned by experienced court watchers for stumbling at key moments. Jeffery Toobin — a seasoned vet of the high court — called it a “train wreck” for the Obama administration.
Here’s some antacid.
Over the first two days of arguments, two of the Court’s five conservative justices have expressed sympathy for key parts of the administration’s arguments. And the administration probably only needs one of their votes to fully uphold the law.
More here
Thanks LL
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A protester against President Obama’s Affordable Care Act tries to block a supporter of the act outside the Supreme Court, March 27
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Steve Benen: …. I had conversations this afternoon with a few reporters who were in the Supreme Court for the arguments, and they agreed on several key points:
* The mandate has at least four votes (Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan).
* Solicitor General Don Verrilli, who argued the case for the government, was not at the top of his game today, and the word “choke” is being bandied about quite a bit.
* Paul Clement, the former Solicitor General who argued against the health care, was excellent.
* The two votes to watch are Roberts and Kennedy. Scalia, Thomas, and Alito do not appear to be in play, despite all of Scalia’s previous opinions on Commerce Clause jurisprudence.
* The liberal justices were far more effective than Verrilli in making compelling arguments in defense of the law.
More here
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Richard Mondale yells at a Obama health care supporter during a protest in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building, March 27
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Greg Sargent: As far as I can tell, these are the two most important developments from today’s arguments before the Supreme Court about the individual mandate.
There’s this, from SCOTUS-blog, which suggests that the conservative bloc of Justices is taking a lenient view of the challengers’ argument about the mandate’s implications for individual liberty….
…. This is trouble, because it suggests the conservative justices are buying the “slippery slope” argument….
…. One bright spot for the government: Chief Justice John Roberts appears open to the argument that the health care marketplace is different from that of any other product.
More here
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Buy the tee here
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TPM: In a little-noticed exchange Monday, conservative Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts may have tipped his hand that he’s entertaining the possibility that the health care law’s individual mandate can be upheld on a constitutional basis that’s different from the one supporters and opponents have made central to their arguments.
…. In an exchange with a plaintiffs attorney, Roberts suggested he’s skeptical that the mandate and its penalties can be treated separately and may have opened the door to finding that Congress’ power to impose the mandate springs from its broad taxing power.
…. That wasn’t what the challengers wanted to hear.
More here
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Michael Tomasky: Conservatives love to say Obama has robbed us of our liberty. But can they name a single freedom that the administration has curtailed?
Behind the challenges to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) being heard at the Supreme Court this week is the idea that Barack Obama wants to take away your freedoms ….. I defy anyone to name for me a specific and precise freedom that Obama has taken away from the American people. You can’t. When they’re not just invented out of whole cloth by multi-millionaire propagandists, all such laments are based on ignorance about what freedom actually means and an equal ignorance about how our system of government works.
…. if you’re healthy and 35 and you don’t buy insurance and you get hit by a bus and you need $10,000 in medical care and you can’t and don’t pay for it, that harms me, because I’m an insured taxpayer and I’m helping to pick up your tab. That is freedom: not just the right to be left alone, but also the obligation to take responsibility for the consequences of one’s own actions on the freedom of other members of society. By that definition, the ACA is enhancing freedom, and personal responsibility – which is why conservatives were for the mandate in the first place.
Full post here
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ThinkProgress: Mitt Romney is trying to make hay about a comment President Obama made to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev this week that he needs some “space” on the missile defense issue until after the election this year. Russia “is without question our number one geopolitical foe,” Romney said, calling Obama’s comment “very, very troubling.”
Politico reports that Medvedev shot back at Romney today at a press conference in Seoul, South Korea:
“I always get very cautious when I see a country resort to phrasings such as ‘No. 1 enemy.’ It is very reminiscent of Hollywood in a certain period of history…. My other advice is to check their clocks from time to time. It is 2012, not the mid-1970s. No matter what party a candidate represents, he has to take the current state of affairs into account.”
More here
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Charles Pierce: They’re circling the wagons down in Sanford these days. The defenders of George Zimmerman, the trigger-happy wannabe who clipped Trayvon Martin for the crime of being a black kid in a hoodie with snack foods in the wrong neighborhood, is now being cocooned by his lawyer, by some alleged friends, and by the local police department …. Ask yourself how we suddenly know that the dead kid had been suspended from high school because he got caught with a bag that might once have contained marijuana. Ask yourself why we know that. We know that because this case is Not About Race.
It is Not About Race because It Is Never About Race. Race is the past. Black people can vote. One of them is president. Nothing Is About Race anymore. Just ask Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum – and have I mentioned recently what a colossal dick that guy is? – and they’ll tell you that the president “injected” race into the tragedy. It wasn’t there before the president – who is (shhh!) black, you know – put it there…..
More here
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First lady Michelle Obama and Yoriko Fujisaki, wife of the Ambassador of Japan to the United States, commemorate the centennial anniversary of the 1912 gift of cherry blossom trees from the city of Tokyo to Washington, D.C. by planting a cherry blossom tree near the Tidal Basin in Washington, March 27
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Thanks a million to everyone who has donated to Collegekay’s fundraising challenge – if you can help, you can donate here
The Obama Diary 
😀
Congrats Tally on #1! 🙂
Winner!!!!
Gerbil hair!
Once more: cough.
At least it didn’t cost him 50 grand! I’m part of the bald and proud brigade. (Helps that I look smashing with a shaved head.)
However, if this pans out, I’ll be first in line at the doctor’s office: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-21/baldness-protein-identified-in-study-that-may-lead-to-treatments.html
Nice picture for Tally!
But I haz a sad, no prize for me in earlier thread. I want something pretty too – please Chips. 😦
Oh holy smoley Dudette, I’m sorry! Okay, seeing as we’re on a soccer theme….
Aww, that is adorable! Happy, happy, joy, joy!! 😀
Thanks Chips!!
OMG forget Rooney nothing beats Bo playing soccer!!!! 😀 #Winning
Good thing there’s not such a thing as a MOUTH BALL – otherwise Bo would get a red card. 😀
Tee-hee!
Love this! I just want to hug that dog! Bet he is a hugger too seeing that his Mommy and Daddy are big on those!!
Look at my dog Bo. I hope the First Family don’t mind me owning him.
Tally! Tally! Tally! 😉
Go Tally!! 🙂
The whole damn thing is rigged I tell ya! 😀
I live for that coat FLOTUS is rocking.
FLOTUS looks beautiful.
I love the pictures of FLOTUS. They bring a smile to my face. I think the world of FLOTUS.
Me too. She’s so gorgeous. The close up photos of her face is amazing. No blemishes and she glows. Her fashion sense gives me so many ideas. Especially her sense of using colors in her outfit. It’s inspired to be brave and funky with my clothing choices.
THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE COURT
Why the last hour of the Supreme Court argument over Obamacare matters most.
By Simon Lazarus
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By the third day of Supreme Court arguments over the Affordable Care Act, people may be inclined to tune out. They shouldn’t. The final hour may be of far greater consequence than anything else the court hears this week. On Wednesday afternoon, the justices will vet a claim that targets the part of the new law that expands the Medicaid program. The Republican governors and attorneys general bringing the case against the health care law assert that the choice given states by the federal government—either accept coverage of approximately 16 million newly eligible beneficiaries or withdraw from Medicaid and lose all existing federal Medicaid funds—is “coercion.” Hence, they argue that with this provision, the federal government is unconstitutionally undermining state autonomy.
.
.
Then again, the court will probably not relish the opportunity to risk disruption at all levels of government. No matter how much Clement and the challengers try to downplay it, the court’s conservatives know how much hinges on this last hour of argument. Let’s hope they rise above the temptations put before them.
==============================
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2012/03/republican_governors_claim_obamacare_is_a_violation_of_states_rights_.html
Wasn’t it “coercion” when the gov’t forced states to adopt the drinking age of 21 or lose federal highway funds? Same thing. Idiots.
5th?
LOL!
Yes, we laugh, 19th now! But, me worry. Not a chance… 19 is my lucky number! 😉 😉 😉
Missed again! 😦
THIS HAS BEEN VERY MUCH A BAD NEWS DAY…SO…I WILL CATCH UP LATER MY FRIENDS.
The more I read, Sue, the more I think it’s been a very confused news day, not so much bad. Reports are trickling out that make the day’s events seem more neutral.
Yes, LL, there is a ways to go yet… They are used to scaring people by creating chaos. We can stand free of it..
Thanks again Chips and this to everyone who has contributed.
It’s really unfortunate that our guy choked today. I am still very optimistic about the mandate being upheld though!
Hi ck! Glad we could help.
Look at what you did!! That is so cool!
Awww. Obama2012!!!
You’re very welcome collekay 🙂
I’m not sure what you mean by this: “It’s really unfortunate that our guy choked today.” Who and what are you referring to?
The solicitor general! 😦
Okay got it. I’m not too concerned about the SG – though. Things are not always what they appear to be.
OMG I love Michelle Obama…best First Lady Ever…just look at her smile 🙂
P, I agree with you 1000% about Mrs. Obama. She is the best.
Whoa! Collegekay! In less than 24 hours you are nearly to your FIRST goal! Yay! 😉
Cross out “nearly.” Honey, that first goal is busted! 🙂
Yeah. Go ahead Collegekay. It’s time to set a new one. 🙂
VaHoo!
I have to give all the credit to Chips and all you wonderful folks on this blog 😉
We’re in First place everyone! ^_^
http://www.barackobama.com/grassroots-fundraising/leaderboard
SWEET!!
Way to go, ck!!!
Did my typical $19.36 donation 🙂
#LandslideOBAMA2012
I don’t know what to think of this Health Care law anymore……..waiting for the results.
So, what’s Plan B? I’m sure PBO has something in mind for what looks now like another KochBrothers-SCOTUS win.
My dear BWD, let not your mind be troubled. PBO doesn’t have a plan B cause he won’t need one. PBO is taking a nap on AF1. Maybe playing basketball on his PDA. Or maybe listening to Al Green on his IPod. Or maybe thinking how he can’t wait to see his wife tonight. Or maybe thinking how he’s gonna crush Romney’s arse in November. PBO doesn’t have a plan B cause he won’t need one. 🙂
It’s the Court Hopefruit… The President called them out at a SOTU, this might be payback.
Just saying.
Justice Kennedy said some encouraging words… So, we shall see.
Exactly. Obama doesn’t get to decide this, unfortunately. It’s all on the SC and it seems, right now anyway, they’re willing to kill it.
There is no Plan B, though. Plan B is to continue on, hoping the damage isn’t extensive and then campaign like hell to win reelection. We saw how hard it was to pass the bill with a Democratic-controlled House & a near-super majority in the Senate. It’s going to be impossible to fix or amend the bill with Republican control in the House and only a slim majority in the Senate. So, while the whole thing probably won’t be struck down, key parts will and that sucks – especially for us.
I am thinking the rest of the bill will be ok.
I did not say that PBO gets to decide anything. However, PBO is not just a politician. He’s also a constitutional scholar – a brilliant one at that. And he probably knows lot more about these issues than some of the so-called “legal experts” that we see in the media.
It’s interesting that just yesterday, many of these so-called experts were predicting that the law would be upheld. Then today, they have switched their views on the basis of a few arguments? What will tomorrow bring – another shift in opinion?
This.
Like I’ve been saying, it’s a game to all of the parties involved—SCOTUS, the plaintiffs, the media. Everyone except for the Obama Administration, and us.
Yes, but this is not about the law. This a very corrupted and sold out court. And, they hate him on a personal level.
hopefruit2, I heard the same thing yesterday. Now today it’s a different story. The way I look at it, it they strike this down, when President Obama is re-elected, when we win the House back, keep the Senate, we can go for Medicare for all..
From your lips to God’s ears.
I’m with hopefruit, I’m not stressing either way. “PBO doesn’t have a plan B cause he won’t need one”. Amen. And if he has a plan B, we won’t know about it until he decides to use it. My prediction…..the mandate will be deemed constitutional.
Janelle, I am not stressing either way either. I’m not going to listen to all the know it all, the pundits, and all. I’m going to have faith either way, first and foremost in God. And in our President.
Thank you for this sweet post, my dear. Made me smile, which is very difficult task today.
Still, I’m pretty sure we will need a Plan B. This is an ugly, corrupted, sold out court. Plus, they hate PBO, it’s personal for them. Not even one decent man on the RW side. Makes me really sad.
I don’t think the whole court hates PBO. I would agree that there are two people on the bench who hate him enough to compromise their own integrity, but the rest will rule in favor of the constitution – Barack Obama or not.
I’m in. In with no looking back!
Plan B is that Dems/Libs – even the ones who first shouted “Kill the Bill” will be even more motivated than ever to flood this country in Blue and push like 100 mad bulls to get Medicare For All. Trust me. If the MSM wants to see how much people like Obamacare – watch the reaction if HCR is struck down. People are fed up. From the political junkies to those who barely follow politics. The Tea Party/GOP will be ecstatic but they won’t know what them in November.
That’s a keeper and should be a t-shirt if SCOTUS doesn’t do the right thing.
Pro citizens united
SMH
Happy happy joy joy O’s!!!!! A windy getting up day in O-hoodie!!!!! I’m listening to the SCOTUS hearings, and for the second time today, I’ve heard that there’s a difference between approaching this as a healthcare argument as opposed to a healthcare insurance one. This is coming from those who are against ACA. I don;t get it, I must have been asleep when this angle came up. It seems to me, then that they are arguing that the only way to get all people insured is via single payer or some sort of government run system.
I am going to believe that Chips dedicated the bottom portion of this post with the pictures of FLOTUS just to me. Thank you, Chips.
Idaho killed the ultrasound bill
Texas reporter fired – did he violate his contract?
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/03/27/451811/texas-radio-station-fires-reporter-after-he-reported-on-states-extreme-ultrasound-law/
In today’s “Isn’t it Ironic Category”
$100 million earmarked for attracting jobs to Georgia
http://www.11alive.com/news/article/235250/3/100-million-earmarked-for-attracting-jobs-to-Georgia
ATLANTA — Georgia would use roughly $100 million from a legal settlement to fund infrastructure improvements intended to attract new employers and jobs to the state.
Rep. Terry England said Monday that the House and Senate have reached an agreement on a roughly $39 billion budget plan for the fiscal year starting in July. That agreement will head to the House and Senate for a vote.
Under the deal, Georgia would use roughly $100 million received as part of a national settlement over mortgage abuses to fund local grant programs that pay for infrastructure projects. Those projects are supposed to help local communities attract new employers.
Attorney General Sam Olens has said the funds should be used to alleviate the effects of the housing crisis, including targeting fraud.
(Associated Press)
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Terry England is the Republican wackballl who compared women to farm animals the other day.
http://3chicspolitico.com/2012/03/09/terry-england-r-georgia-representative-compares-women-to-farm-animals-in-the-name-of-the-fetus/
Off-Topic, but way cool:
Casting calls for baseball players, business people
ATLANTA — Producers in Atlanta need experienced baseball players, men between the ages of 22 and 38, for a movie about the life of Jackie Robinson. The movie’s called “42” with Harrison Ford and Chadwick Boseman. Extras will need college-level baseball experience, and they’ll go to training camp before filming starts.
http://www.11alive.com/news/article/235140/3/Casting-calls-for-baseball-players-business-people
Then, somebody should bring car insurance to Court. And House insurance as well.
That would save me money. Insurance companies are scared, very scared!
Lol!
Exactly. Auto/flood/fire/liability/etc etc etc…
And most of all – the mandate to PAY TAXES.
Sure, they can “not drive a car” to opt out of auto insurance. They can also OPT OUT of living as well – or be required to have a tattoo on your wrist stating: DO NOT TREAT EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES if they refuse to have health care or pay taxes for it.
Jovie, this is why I am not going crazy today – of course the law will be upheld, if not, they are opening Pandora’s box. We have got to keep it together because the nastiness that’s coming will leave us physically ill if we don’t stay strong! Keep the faith friends!
Amen on that Jovie.
Given the number of Dems that lost their seats in 2010 over health care, it is difficult to imagine that it will become an issue again in my lifetime. The only hope would be a complete Dem takeover of Congress with a super majority in the Senate along with a Dem president. I do not see that happening. Given the tenor of things today, the arguments tomorrow on severability of the mandate from the other provisions will become much more interesting in addition to the expasnsion of Medicare provision. Bottom line is that there simply will be no way to pay for the popular provisions which include free preventative care and disregard for pre-existing conditions. If those provisions are allowed to stand without the additional stream of revenue from young healthy Americans the cost will be prohibitive for nearly everyone. Employers will run for the hills in dumping medical insurance as a benefit and individual policies will be even more ridiculous than they are currently priced. And make no mistake in thinking this type of loss will be easy for PBO to overcome. He expended more political capital on healthcare than anything else in the last three years. The repugnant Repubs will have a field day painting him as a failure, particularly given his constitutional law background. While I will remain guardedly optimistic until the opinion is released (particularly given Roberts’ concern with the appearance of the court given the outrage over Citizens United), the consequences to all of us if the ACA is struck down will be far reaching and long lasting. If there ever has been a reason to pray for our PBO this it.
If the Individual Responsibility mandate is struck down but the rest of the law stands, we will have to go to single payer because there’s no other way to make those other provisions work, and from what I’ve read, that will be constitutional because it would be a tax and Congress has to right to tax. But that’s just what I have been reading.
Never forget …
#PRESSON
Great tweet, Bob. You have nailed the issue.
~Suzanne
Thank you Suzanne!
#PRESSON
Need a little help here. I know there were two bills called “The House Jobs Bill” and the “Senates Investment Bill”. It seems one of them passed..not sure which one and what was cut from important programs to make this bill pass.
Does anyone of the smartest people I know on this blog have any answers?
The house jobs bill passed, cost zero dollars because it laxed regulations for small businesses, allowing them to obtain more Capital.
Those small business include online crooks who set up companies with the aim of swindling people, and also “small businesses” who are really billionaire hedge fund managers.
Posted in the Previous thread but I wanted to get you guys take on this because I am trying to understand why this man has not been arrested to this day and I just cannot!!!!!
Wait….I’m surfing the web and I’m seeing prominent news websites taking a spin on this Trayvon Martin travesty! They are now questioning whether a teenager who was armed only with skittles and ice tea could have initiated his death is infuriating me! First of all I’m already infuriated because Zimmerman is not arrested and the Stanford FL police did not conduct a proper police investigation at the night of the shooting!!! According to Zimmerman he was heading back to his vehicle when Trayvon approach him, a argument ensued, Trayvon punched him in the nose knocking him to the ground, jump on top of him and began beating his head against the pavement…nothing add up!!! Nothing adds up to the time Trayvon was on the phone with his girlfriend and the time the police arrived, nothing adds up to the 9 11 calls and the screaming indidvidual that immediately stopped screaming as soon as the gun shot went off and I could go on and on. But I would just like to say this to you all and you can give me and answer, If you identify a person as suspicious and that person comes up to you, you have a gun in your waist wouldn’t you pull out your gun immediately and point it to the suspicious indidvidual and say “step one step closer and I’ll blow your brains out!” ??? Now that reaction would of definitely scare off Trayvon simply because as stated in the police report he was unarmed!!!! An unarmed indidvidual would not try to fight someone with a gun it’s a natural thing!!
Secondly all these fools who are saying he’s a criminal just because they found marijuana residue on him or because he defaced school property or because on his twitter page he referred to himself with a racial slur then there are sooooooo many teenagers of all racial background that needs to be shot!….starting with the President of the United States. So many black rappers used the N-word to describe themselves and others. So many doctors, lawyers, News Presenters, Teacher, Entertainers etc were suspended during their school years for many different reasons. Teens makes mistakes for many different reasons but to deny them the opportunity to redeem themselves is outrageous!!!! This young man had NO CRIMINAL RECORDS….he may have not been a saint neither are YOU!!! He didn’t deserve to die that way and this Zimmerman idiot needs to be ARRESTED NOW!!!!!! I’m not appalled by this tragedy at all but I am outrage by the fact that despite public outcry nothing has been down more than a month later! SAD SAD SAD!!!!
In addiction Stand Your Ground Law needs to be Repealed now!!! That’s the most stupid law I ever heard…really America?
Have you guys seen this one?
If the Affordable Care Act was passed by any other President, other than Obama, I seriously doubt that it would be challenged in court. This is all about the right-wings hatred for the President. What a bunch of miserable, hateful people.
We must be mindful, that the make up of the Supreme Court is very important. At least one or two of our current Justices may have some health issues, and therefore the next President will have to appoint someone to fill those vacancies. A republican President will more than likely move the court further to the right.
It’s days like this that the Obama Diary blog means the most to me. It’s hard not to get discouraged every now and then. Thanks Chipsticks for all you do.
Yes, I believe you. Someone on one of these radio programs yesterday said that by rolling out the ACA over four years, they introduced uncertainty because companies and states don’t know if they should go to all the trouble if the law is going to be overturned. The reality is that President Obama did not introduce any uncertainty. Any uncertainty from the actual bill was eliminated the minute President Obama signed it into law. Any new uncertainty that was introduced since the signing of the bill was from the ignorant racists who decided that there’s no way they’ll support granting access to affordable care for their fellow Americans because the idea was proposed and passed by a black president. If the opposite party always contested laws passed and enacted by the other party, then this country would have ended years ago. Ludicrous.
Chips, japa will be very happy with your pics 🙂
Why am I always the one singled out? Plus, see my comment upthread.
A lot of Liberal Democrats think this is great news for them.
Now, they can campaign on single payer, which was a fundraising magnet for most House members.
You see, it’s all about them.
Who do they think will stick their neck out for single payer now? They are an ungrateful lot. It seems they are more comfortable with fantasies of policy, rather than actually passing policy and executing it.
WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney’s campaign won’t be amused by what some pranksters have done with a new “I Like Romneycare” website.
Anyone who goes to the website http://www.ilikeromneycare.com is instantly redirected to a page on President Barack Obama’s campaign website with the words “I LIKE OBAMACARE” splashed across the top. The page also gives people the option to “like” Obamacare on Facebook and give money to the campaign.
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Ha !
Of course I hope the SCOTUS keeps ACA, but I can’t think of anything that would energize folks more than for them to rule against it. This includes insurance companies who stand to lose millions of mandated customers. It will drive home to millions that there kids under 26 are suddenly without healthcare (personally affects me, even though I just found out it doesn’t include dental, now have to get impacted wisdom teeth pulled out of pocket). Also, all that coverage in place right now for preconditions and life time cap removed, put back in place. If that happens, the campaign will center on getting those folks, who polls claim have no idea what’s in ACA to vote Dems back in both houses. Don’t be fooled, Indies, and Repubs alike have already benefited, or know someone who has and they are not about to give it back, no matter what they say out loud or what’s on those signs they carry. Forget the Bradley effect, these folks are voting Dem for no other reason than to save themselves, their parents, their kids, their homes, and then listen to FOX and Limbaugh and pretend as if nothing happened.
Exactly! cookemom. Solid thinking. It’s not over and our fortunes and the fortunes of the President aren’t tied to any one event. Think of all that he has gone through and overcome when everyone was saying it was over. He wouldn’t even have run let alone be elected.
As you know, if you’ve read any of my comments, we are totally in synch!
What some folk have noted is a rather interesting ‘rock n hard place’ for the #KOCHSTERS on SCOTUS (Roberts, Alito, Scalia & Thomas) is that their buddies in the exec suites and board rooms of insurance companies will lose big if they SCOTUS kills ACA. Beyond that, those same execs and shareholders realize that killing ACA will put a booster rocket under President Obama and DEMS, and their supporters, to legislate Medicare for every American – the death of the health insurance industry.
Interesting time … much more so than the #NEWSTAINERS and pollsters have even contemplated let alone presented to the public.
In closing, when you couple these undeniable facts:
With SCOTUS killing ACA, you’re gonna reap this:
#PRESSON
Indeed Bobfr
Facing foreclosure, Georgia ‘chicken man’ blows up own home
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/27/facing-foreclosure-georgia-chicken-man-blows-up-own-home/
On the run, off to the follow up, back when I can! Hugs all around…;)
As much as we like to needle TPM for its descent at times into HuffPo-ism, its doing stellar work on ACA. Here’s another DON’T PANIC article: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/03/after-rough-day-in-court-an-optimistic-view-for-supporters-of-obamacare.php?ref=fpa
I like TPM but they do this PANIC – DON’T PANIC thing all.the.time.
I’ve had some health things going on that have kept me away from the Internet for several days at a time. Each time I come back to look I am struck by how hysterical the news is. It’s getting noisier all the time. The GOP and the far right do live in a thought bubble of their own making and they are doing whatever they can to discredit fact-based sources. The more we go into the election the louder they will become.
It becomes more and more important for me to find ways to be in balance, at peace and to make a conscious decision about where I choose to give my attention. For me, that means I am only going to read positive information about President Obama.
But, there are those of you who read and comment on attacks or negativity about President Obama. It has been valuable for people to speak up about the lies — like we’ve seen with Limbaugh. But if I read something negative and don’t do anything I feel helpless and eventually overwhelmed. I’m suggesting that if any of us report on lies or misstruths, give us a way to respond ~~ the URL to comment or a Twitter hashtag, phone number to call, something. Otherwise we are just wasting energy complaining and worrying.
I’m not saying not to face reality. The President faces reality and makes his assessments. He keeps his focus on solutions and I’d like to do that too. He has a beautiful vision for this country and I’m eager to join with him. Together we can do great things.
~Suzanne
I have to ask Michael Tomasky: $!0,000 in medical bills? You haven’t been to a hospital recently have you? That barely gets you in the door if you’re seriously injured. And you’re certainly not going to beat cancer for ten grand.
Speaking of hospital bills. Some of you may know that I have suffered from severe sinusitis for the past five years. During that time, I was on a laundry list of drugs and remedies: weekly allergy shots (my share after insurance was $42.54 per month); Zyrtec, Singulair, Nasocort, two inhalers, prednisone and augmentin, Sudafed and Mucinex D. My prescription co-pay is $35.00.
I had surgery on February 28. The surgery took longer than scheduled because of the severity of the calcification in my head and an the extraction of an ancillary sinus cavity that my body had created to hold all that junk. I was in surgery for over 2 1/2 hours and in recovery for an hour and a half. Not a huge deal. I just received the bill for the outpatient facility — the pricetag is $62,850.43. This does not include the doctor’s fees or the anesthesiologist fees.
How do people manage this without insurance?
You cannot take care of yourself — it’s impossible. My asthma is completely under control and my meds (which include my asthma, a little high blood pressure and some arthritis) and the doctor’s visits are about $5, 6,000/year. When I carried catastrophic insurance that was in addition to the insurance premiums that wouldn’t cover what was wrong with me. It’s completely impossible to deal with any kind of illness out of pocket.
I am very fortunate to have insurance because I too have asthma. My kids are not so lucky. My son had to drop coverage for himself and his wife because each time the premium would go up, he would increase the deductible so he could pay the premiums. Finally, he could not afford the premium for the lousy coverage they had. They insure the kids, but not themselves.
I am so trying to remain positive & not panic over this SCOTUS hearing on ACA. I have such a big dog in this fight. My youngest daughter has a serious heart condition & would have lost her insurance & maybe her life if it were not for ACA. I also have 3 Grandkiddos with asthma, a “pre-existing condition” who are being covered by insurance. I am praying with all that is in me that the Supremes do the right, honest & decent thing.
I’m so sorry about your daughter. There are so many of us who live in abject fear concerning our health care. And to think this major step in the right direction may be taken away from us.
Elections have consequences, whiny left. Even under these conditions, if you hadn’t been such children in 2010 and kept Nancy Pelosi as Speaker, we could at least go back and fix things. That is impossible because you bastards didn’t vote.
Aquagranny, call The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111 and ask who you can speak to so that you can tell your healthcare story.
Seriously, it can’t hurt and it might help. They may feature you and your family in one of the videos. Give it a shoot. I know I’d support you all the way. I have a son with special needs. He’s covered now, but I need ACA so that he will have coverage as an adult.
Sorry to hear about your daughter, Aquagranny! Sometimes I wonder what universe these right wingers live in. How can any one be against this law, which tries to save families from going into bankruptcy? Obviously, some billionaires, like the Koch brothers, still believe in social Darwinism. They could care less about the poor and the middle class being unable to afford healthcare. May be also, like the economist Malthus, they see this as away to control the population of unwanted people. I actually think that some of the idiots holding those signs against the ACA would end up like that woman in Florida who first sued to overturn the ACA, but who is now bankrupt, in part because of the family’s medical bills.
I lived through a nightmare when my daughter was undergoing cancer treatments. Although I was insured, there were many procedures that the Insurance company refused to cover. Within in just three years we had almost reached the life time family cap. Any way, it took me years to finally pay the portion of the expenses not covered, or disallowed, by the Insurance company. How in the world is what we went through = freedom?
A protester against U.S. President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act (R) tries to block a supporter (L) of the act outside the Supreme Court in Washington, March 27, 2012
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2012/03/we-dont-like-mandates.html Deaniac has a great piece on how we’d better start growing the hell up as a country and our place as citizens of this country.
The absurdity of this was made clear to me two weeks ago when the weekend blogger at Washington Monthly, a girl in her twenties, had this complaint: (I paraphrase): “I went to the Emergency Room at the University of Chicago hospital to get a refill written for my prescription. And those bastards — I wasn’t insured and they charged me $450! And by the way, Michelle Obama made $300,000 shilling for these people (okay, ‘shilling’ is my word for what she implied).
You’re in your 20’s. You’re not insured. You decide to use a busy ER on the south side of Chicago to get a refill for a prescription, and you’re mad at Michelle Obama?
I’m not insured and with my doctor who I pay out of pocket, my asthma has been controlled since my one and only hospital visit in 1984 (a claim denied by my health insurance company, and I was dropped). I plan to see my doctor once a year, I make sure I have enough for the office visit and he gives me a break and gives me samples because he knows I’m not insured. I did carry catastrophic insurance for 25 years that would not cover my asthma or anything to do with my pulmonary system, including if I got a punctured lung in an accident.
Deaniac nails it. Read the post.
I’m having some thoughts..I notice that none of PBO’s usual big folks like Axelrod and Ben LaBolt, etc. are saying anything about ACA – just usual tweets about Romney and his gaffes or other stuff:) Here is David Axelrod’s most recent tweet less than 10 minutes ago:
Meanwhile, @Barackobama is tweeting as usual. They are placid amidst the hysteria and carnival barking of the media. I’ve seen this movie before. Can’t wait to get to the end.
I am in complete agreement with Axe and other administration officials. I usually refrain from all of the media drama. I have seen these MSM folks shoot “house on fire” to many times, and in the end they are wrong.
Oops, meant “shout”.
I also have to think that maybe they think the people who will benefit from health care should do the fighting this time. The Administration and Congress fought to pass this law. Someone was shot over this law. Another had a brick thrown through their office. And another was spit on. Several received death threats. And what did they get in return? A nation of people where 32% want the whole bill overturned – most of whom are on Medicare. A nation where someone like Howard Dean demanded that Congress “kill the bill”, and several others derided the bill as a piece of crap. A nation where some people even now are hoping that the law will die, and then they can start campaigning on Single Payer.
I’ve never been more angry than I am over this nonsense/circus over the health care hearings. I remember standing on street corners, giving up weekends to get pledges of support, making phone calls to Congress to ask them to do the right thing. I have excellent health care through work. If worse comes to worst, I can go back to Canada and get treatment, if needed. But, there are people in this country – some of whom don’t have any health care – who are kneeling in front of the Capital, praying for this law to be overturned. And a lot of them couldn’t tell you a single thing that’s in this law, and many more don’t even know that the mandate only impacts 2-7% of the population. It’s astounding.
I doubt very much they are that callous. And I doubt that they would be so careless about something for which they fought so hard and lost so much political capital in getting in the first place. Our President is not just a man with a heart, but also a brilliant constitutional scholar. I would wager that he knows more about the law that many of the so-called legal experts we see blasting their ugly mugs all over the cable news.
Thank you theo67 for expressing so well my sentiments! President Obama, VP Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and the majority of Democrats, in both houses of Congress, did their job on health care. What exactly have we, as citizens, done to ensure that their historic accomplishment will not be erased by these Know Nothing, right wing Republicans?
Deaniac may not be a lawyer but it doesn’t sound as if our lawyer today made as clear a case as Deaniac has made:
“This is probably correct. On a legal basis, there is no rhyme or reason – except the idea that the Supreme Court can do whatever it wants – why it is not constitutional. First, it does not apply to anyone who cannot find insurance for less than 8% of their income, and the threshold is even lower for people with limited income. This clears the undue burdens test. Second, no one is required to carry insurance; if they do not, they simply pay a fine to ensure that when they require health care, those who have insurance (and taxpayers) are not on the hook for it. This is the pro-active legal argument that says that Congress indeed has the power to protect each citizen from financial harm done by the actions of others. If others not buying insurance adds to your insurance premiums (and it does), Congress has the power to remedy that.”
Left again, on the last thread.
Congrats CollegeKay. You are now at $470 with 24 donors.
There is an old adage “follow the money”, which I think we should pay some notice to today. If the mandate goes down the tube, and the rest is untouched, insurance ompanies are in for a lot of trouble. They love the idea of all these previously uninsured people coming in to their grubby little hands, specially since many of them are such that they represent low risk. Without the mandate, but with the other restrictions in place, they will lose a lot of profitability.
So why did I say “Follow the money”? I just did a quick analysis of the stock prices of several of the largest insurance companies, such as CIGNA, Aetna, Humana and others. Around the middle of the day, all had lost ground, probably based upon the dire predictions. Yet, by the end of the day they all showed gains for the day. Not just moving up from the bottom level, but improving above the closing level from yesterday.
Although investors and Wall Styreet can be wrong, there must have been something which triggered the rebound. These people are betting on the mandate being upheld or not only the mandate but all other aspects of the bill being thrown out. And quite, honestly, I can’t see the latter happening.
I think it will be upheld and they all know it.
Hmmm…good point japa. Excellent point – follow the money indeed.
Thank you Japa for your perceptive and insightful analysis on this issue. You make a convincing case by asking us to “follow the money.” I think Thomas, Scalia and Alito are so ideologically driven that they will vote against the mandate, and may be even against the entire ACA. That leaves Roberts and Kennedy who could go either way. I think for the pro-corporation, CJ Roberts, invalidating just the mandate and not the entire law would not serve the interests of the Insurance companies. As for Justice Kennedy, he too favors business and I can’t imagine him undermining the Insurance companies by only invalidating the mandate. If we “follow the money,” as you suggest, then may be these two justices, Roberts and Kennedy, will probably swallow their hatred of President Obama and vote to uphold ACA. They already gave the right “Citizens United,” so, it would be ludicrous for right wingers to attack them by accusing them of being enablers of socialism.
By the way, if the five Republicans on the Court votes to declare the entire ACA unconstitutional, I hope the Democrats will run on the popular aspects of the law and against the right wing activist Court that shamelessly usurped the power of Congress by legislating from the bench. A bit similar to what Republicans did in 1860 with respect to the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dred Scott case. The tragedy, of course, is that there is no Democratic unity behind ACA. I expect celebrations from the firebaggers if the Supreme Court overturns the ACA.
New post everyone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/03/27/korea/
Jackie 4 Obama, I read your story up-thread about your sinusitis and the related costs. I hope you’re feeling much better. We should all consider sending stories like Jackie’s to the White House, maybe it’ll be one of the 10 letters PBO personally addresses. Also, don’t forget to send it to your congresscritters as well. For instance, I’m taking credit for the new initiative by the White House to embrace ObamaCares. I wrote them to do just that to defuse the Luntz negative spin on the ACA. It’s working too. This morning a commenter on FOX corrected himself to call it ACA when he first called it ObamaCare. I thought I would roll on the floor laughing and stay there. Too funny. So, while I’m sure there were greater minds than mine already working to roll out ‘I like Obamacare’ , I’m still silently giving myself props.
Pat on the back to you cookemom. Great idea! Great comment!!
Thanks Cookemom. I am much, much better. You don’t realize how lousy you feel until you get better and then realize the difficulty you were having.