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On 'Real Time With Bill Maher' on Friday night, the progressive host questioned former GOP National Committee Chairman Michael Steele on the irony of being fired after the most expansive Republican gains in decades. His instinctive response?
It was simply a matter of "Republican justice."
He couldn't have said it better if he were a Democrat.
Sadly, Republican justice strikes yet again, as Reagan appointee and Florida U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson, declared that the provision requiring individuals to purchase health insurance by 2014 or be penalized is unconstitutional.
As a part of a 26-state challenge to the Obama Administration's signature achievement, Judge Vinson further states that the entire law is invalid because the individual mandate cannot be "severed" from the rest of the legislation, rendering the entire law in violation of the United States Constitution. While it is expected that the federal government will appeal the decision, seeking an immediate stay in the interim, ultimately this case is predicted to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court.
It continues to amaze me that a mandate first introduced by the GOP as an alternative to the Clinton health care overhaul is now being attacked at every turn because it was re-introduced by President Barack Obama. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli expressed his amazement that while England's King George III concluded that the British subjects living in America could not be forced to buy British goods, Obama somehow feels he is more powerful than a King of England.
In other words: the President is being "uppity."
Try as I might, I've found no evidence of this outrage when Mitt Romney signed a similar law into state law in Massachusetts in 2006.
I'm still trying to determine why conservative education and research institution, The Heritage Foundation, embraced an individual mandate in the 1990s.
And I can't seem to find an inkling of GOP disapproval when former President Richard Nixon favored mandating employers provide health care in the 1970s.
Apparently, elephants do forget.
Before Obama, individual mandates were the American Way, ushering in an age of so-called personal responsibility. Yet now the GOP considers it "overreach" to not only help underprivileged citizens, but to demand they help themselves.
I'm not naming any names, but some people need to make up their minds.
UCLA School of Law professor, Adam Winkle, points out that "the individual mandate is not really so unprecedented." He writes, "In fact, the founding fathers adopted the first 'individual mandate' back in 1792. It required individuals to outfit themselves with guns and ammunition, even if they had to buy those items from private sellers."
So, mandating guns, good. Mandating health care? Not so much.
The moral of the story is that the Republicans remain the "Party of No." As long as President Obama remains in charge, any idea he proposes will be considered a detriment to the American people. Even if they thought of it first.
How's that for good old fashioned Republican justice?
Comments: (8)
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By: Brady on 2/01/2011 12:45AM
Before anyone has conniption, based on part of the story, first hear the other side, and then decide.
The Judge wrote:
In ruling against President Obama‘s health care law, federal Judge Roger Vinson used Mr. Obama‘s own position from the 2008 campaign against him, when the then-Illinois senator argued there were other ways to achieve reform short of requiring every American to purchase insurance.
“I note that in 2008, then-Senator Obama supported a health care reform proposal that did not include an individual mandate because he was at that time strongly opposed to the idea, stating that, ‘If a mandate was the solution, we can try that to solve homelessness by mandating everybody to buy a house,’” Judge Vinson wrote in a footnote toward the end of his 78-page ruling Monday.
The footnote was attached to the most critical part of Judge Vinson‘s ruling, in which he said the “principal dispute” in the case was not whether Congress has the power to tackle health care, but rather whether it has the power to compel individual citizens to purchase insurance.
In other words as a senator Obama knew that a mandate was not the answer, so then why is it the answer now.
under Obamas "New" mandate logic, the government can "mandate" anything. That is under Obamas legal theory, the government could mandate that all citizens do xy and z, whether the citizen whats to our not.
Sorry but ill decide what i want and dont want, not Barak Obama.
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By: alie on 2/01/2011 6:52AM
This is so funny we saw not protest for Romney Care which i might add is the same mirrored bill, billSchrier the racist bloger here sums it all up on why he wants it repealed it's not the bill it's Obama and the rest of us AA's that is why he is so crazy!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/29/obomneycare-the-ultimate_n_517218.html
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By: alie on 2/01/2011 11:30AM
," the White House said on its website. "Similar legal challenges to major new laws -- including the Social Security Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act -- were all filed and all failed."
Next thing to tackle illegal immigration! and securing our borders!
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By: corrine on 2/01/2011 8:55PM
Please, oh please give me your address or phone number. You are a complete racist bastard. Calling Mr. Obama's children, little niglets. When you called those little sweet, innocent, and beautiful girls that name, you are talking about all Black children. You should be ashamed of your racist, old ass behind. Anybody ever called your children little crackers. Shame on you. You can hate Mr. Obama and his family, but please stop the name calling. If I knew who in the hell you are and where you live I would report this to the FBI. You deserve prison for your nasty and hateful remarks about OUR president. He is the President wheather you like it or not.
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By: corrine on 2/01/2011 8:54PM
I guess it is safe to say that you are not an Obama supporter, ha!ha!ha!
Seriously, e-mail me at chamilton3000@aol.com. I have some words of wisdom from a "real sister".
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By: David on 2/04/2011 8:44AM
Bill, that was completely out of line. Disagree with policy, if you must; but keep away from personal insult. Love the person, even if you hate his behavior.
While I don't think Pres. Obama's policies are in the least productive, I can't forget that he is just as human as I or anyone else. How are we supposed to treat our neighbor? With love, of course. The man's race is irrelevant.
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By: G W McClintock on 2/02/2011 11:28PM
This is a free country, Bill can call them anything he wants. What on earth do you think calling the FBI will do????? You must be a crack smoking democrat to even think of something so stupid!!!
Do people calling you names really bother you, if so you better run to your head doc.
Major problem in this country is a bunch of baby over the age of 18.
As far as Obama, he is the biggest embarrsment this country has ever put in the whitehouse.
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By: Leo johnson on 3/01/2011 1:24AM
It is unlawful to hear the case there. The Constitution is in plain English and makes it blindingly obvious this case MAY ONLY be heard by The Supreme Court.
http://xtremenofacts.com/
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