After the Supreme Court’s reading of its ruling on ObamaCare yesterday, I first thought that Chief Justice Roberts had betrayed Republicans, Conservatives, Libertarians, et al, by joining with the liberals on the court to uphold the individual mandate that requires all Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a fine.
In fact, I “tweeted” “et tu Roberts” to indicate I felt we had been stabbed in the back. Then I started to hear details.
While liberals were dancing in the street and high-level Democrats were posting vile, profane taunts to celebrate their victory, the reality of the majority ruling began to be clarified.
While the mandate was upheld, it was not upheld under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, but under the government’s right to tax. So now, it’s clear that Obama has broken his promise to not raise taxes on the middle class. And yet his supporters are celebrating!
The other side of the coin is that Roberts’ majority decision disallowed the mandate under the Commerce Clause, now setting precedent for LIMITING the use of that means of enlarging government and its control over the lives of individual citizens.
Until now, the Commerce Clause had been seen by liberals as a gaping hole in the Constitution through which they could drive Mac Trucks full of goodies for their supporters, making government bigger, more intrusive and more corrupt. With this ruling that can finally be curtailed. And yet, liberals are celebrating!
While at first I thought Roberts had stabbed us in the back, I now think he may have just set a precedent that will aid small-government conservatives and libertarians in protecting our freedoms in the future and at the same time caused liberals to praise him.
And tucked into the ruling was a message that he was not going to undo what could be done at the ballot box. In other words, see you in November.
Genius!
