Yeah, and as the law stood, under the commerce clause, it was deemed unconstitutional. Roberts took it upon himself to then conclude that if it HAD been a tax, instead, congress WOULD HAVE been within its constitutional authority to "mandate" it. Therefore, it MAY be upheld as within Congress’s power under the Taxing Clause.

Stop trying to get Michale to renege.

Well, the Court flat-out struck down mandating private-sector purchases under the Commerce Clause, which is the clause under which the law, and the mandate, was passed:

The case challenged the court to fashion a judicially administrable principle that limits Congress’s power to act on the mere pretense of regulating interstate commerce. At least Roberts got the court to embrace emphatic language rejecting the Commerce Clause rationale for penalizing the inactivity of not buying insurance:

If the mandate had been upheld under the Commerce Clause, the Supreme Court would have decisively construed this clause so permissively as to give Congress an essentially unlimited police power — the power to mandate, proscribe and regulate behavior for whatever Congress deems a public benefit. Instead, the court rejected the Obama administration’s Commerce Clause doctrine. The court remains clearly committed to this previous holding: “Under our written Constitution .?.?. the limitation of congressional authority is not solely a matter of legislative grace....”http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-will-supreme-court-gives-conservatives-a-consolation-prize/2012/06/28/gJQAWyhY9V_print.html

The only reason CrapCare continues to stand is because Roberts accepted that congress COULD have passed the law under their taxation powers. The weird thing about the ruling, however, was that congress specifically didn't do that, specifically because they would never have been able to get their BlueDogs aboard a raise-taxes-on-the-middle-class bill.

INTERESTING how Roberts ignored that, accepted it as a tax, and dumped CrapCare back in O's lap. LOL. Think about that.

That would be awesome indeed.

It's funny to see the Dems with their "It's Constitutional, Bitches!!"

What's amusing to me is seeing liberals defend it so strongly and conservatives against it so strongly when it was once a conservative idea. It's a very up is down, down is up type of a thing.

-David

I can't wait to see the looks on the faces of the Left when President Romney and a GOP Congress forces all Americans to purchase firearms for their self-defense...

Won't THAT be a hoot, eh!?? :D

Michale......

My response???

"It's a tax, assholes!!"

:D

Michale....

House holds Holder in contempt over ‘Fast and Furious’ documents
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/28/house-eric-holder-contempt-vote-fast-furious-probe/

The House makes Holder do the Bi-Partisan Perp Walk... :D

Michale......

See it live? Will there be webcam coverage? Do tell!

Yea, I have a half dozen surveillance cameras in my shop.. I'll open one up to GUESTS and you will be able to see me in all my OBAMA GOT OSAMA glory...

Just keep the fat jokes to a minimum.. I'm a sensitive guy... :D

Michale.....

It's happened before. I am not sure what context I type in FTP, but it usually doesn't something funky like that.. It has to do with the fact that, in computer'eze FTP is like HTTP...

Perhaps I should type it F.T.P. for Friday Talking Points..

I feel like Kirk in THE PARADISE SYNDROME trying to figure out what sound combination triggered the door to the Obelisk on Miramanee's Planet.. :D

CB,

Uh, the Court ruled that the mandate, under the commerce clause, was unconstitutional. That's one of the things the Right won. The only reason CrapCare continues to stand is because Roberts accepted O's on-again-off-again argument that it was a tax. So I think Michale is off the tee-shirt hook.

I haven't read the ruling.. I doubt I could understand it, even if I did..

But I am satisfied that David won... There wasn't a plain english hint of unconstitutionality within the SCOTUS's ruling. At least none that I can see...

While that may have not been the letter of the bet, it WAS the spirit of the bet...

While I think we are ALL equally amazed, I am satisfied that David won...

Michale.....

Uh, the Court ruled that the mandate, under the commerce clause, was unconstitutional. That's one of the things the Right won. The only reason CrapCare continues to stand is because Roberts accepted O's on-again-off-again argument that it was a tax. So I think Michale is off the tee-shirt hook.

Just read the other thread's comments.

The link you posted doesn't seem to work. Maybe because it's an FTP link (the computer type, not the Friday column type)?

I dunno. Anyway, try posting it again, let's see what's wrong and try to fix it....

-CW

Michale's bet was on the mandate's constitutionality (I volunteered as referee and laid down specifics beforehand).

He's got to wear a pro-Obama shirt at his place of business for a full day and (here's the kicker) CANNOT say why he's wearing it. The only allowable response: "Ask me again tomorrow."

Michale -

See it live? Will there be webcam coverage? Do tell!

OK, that's it. I'm done gloating, but I had to get a little of it off my chest.

I've never even been a fan of the individual mandate, but I have to say I was shocked at the ruling -- more by the fact that Roberts flipped than anything else, really.

-CW

So, anything interesting happen?

[...snerk snerk snerk]

-CW

I don't know what your bet was, Michale, but O only won two of the four rulings. So maybe you just have to wear half a tee-shirt. Unless, of course, you but that the whole law would be thrown out, in which case I think you're probably gonna have to wear the whole thing.

LOL ... nice. One thing we'll never be able to say is that you're not a man of your word.

And remember ... you can't tell people you lost a bet ;)

-David

Don't worry, you get to watch it live in all it's glory... :D

Michale.....

Heheheh ... where are you going to wear it again?

-David

TWENTY ONE NEW TAXES on people earning less than $250K a year..

TWENTY ONE broken promises from President Obama...

As much as I hate to say it because I don't want to be one of THOSE kinds of losers, but this ruling might be the best thing that could have happened to the GOP...

Michale.....

I wonder how many of these former statements by Obama are going to come back and bite him on the arse...

I am thinking... ALL OF THEM... :D

Michale.....

Michale.....

Yea, I still got my shirt, damn you! :D I have to unpack it now. I had it packed in a nice little box, all ready to send to you unworn...

Dammit... :D

But I'll have the last laugh. A little later today when the House makes Holder do the Bi-Partisan Perp Walk.. :D

And in November, when an unprecedented turnout of Righties, Independents and NPAs put the final nail in Obama's Presidency's coffin... :D

Michale....

Not just nationwide: in Florida, more people with the right to vote tried to vote for Gore than Bush. But thanks to the butterfly ballot and the hanging chad, enough of their votes could be thrown out to tip the election.

Heheh. I'm not usually one to gloat, but because there was quite a bit of premature celebration on the part of a certain someone, I just have to say ...

Do you have your t-shirt ready, Michale? :)

That is all and I will do my best to refrain from here on out.

-David

Given our own experience that a large percentage of citizens enthusiastically exercise their right to vote, while apparently being certifiably insane, I've come to see their point. On the other hand, since those same people choose the electors to the Electoral College that solution hasn't worked out either.

http://scotusblog.wpengine.com/

Michale.....

Seeing Republicans fall all over themselves embracing The Popular Vote would be almost as much fun as seeing Democrats fall all over themselves embracing Citizens United... :D

Michale.....