If Obamacare is declared unconstitutional, what will that say about Obama?

Jim C. writes:

How STAGGERING was Obama’s and his administration’s incompetence in not fully understanding the likelihood that their signal accomplishment would be found unconstitutional? This incompetence will go down in history as gargantuan. Is it simply coincidental that this staggering foolishness would befall an affirmative action presidency?

I don’t think so.

LA replies:

But of course Obamacare was the work of the Congressional Democrats, not just Obama. At the same time, it must also be said that Obama was the driving force behind it. It was he who chose to make it the top priority of his administration (apparently against the advice of his chief of staff Emanuel); it was he who campaigned for it relentlessly around the country; and, finally, when everyone thought the bill was dead, in the weeks following the special election in Massachusetts in January 2010, it was he who kept the damned thing alive and forced it through. In that process, Pelosi and Reid were his lieutenants. It is, as you say, his signature accomplishment, his bid for immortality, his product, his child.

- end of initial entry -

Posted August 27

Leonard D. writes:

I disagree almost entirely with your correspondent Jim C. Obamacare is far more than just the individual mandate. Wikipedia has a summary. It is true that the individual mandate is the most highly objectionable bit of it, and it does appear likely to be struck down. But there is plenty more. Practically every provision that is effective on or after January 1, 2014 is a substantial blow to liberty. (Most salient: “Insurers are prohibited from discriminating against or charging higher rates for any individuals based on pre-existing medical conditions.” That, by itself, may be sufficient to destroy the private insurance business.)

Even without the individual mandate, this thing is a huge step in the direction of socialized medicine.

As such, it is justly the signature accomplishment of Obama and the Democrats. They have every reason to be proud of themselves in their own terms—they’ve moved America a significant step towards the medical socialism that prevails elsewhere in the West.

I admit that I did not foresee the willingness of the courts to take on the individual mandate—that will have to wait for the future. (Actually I see no need for it. In future USG can extend some sort of coverage to all Americans, and raise taxes.) But of the rest, as I wrote you at the time: it’s bad, and the Supreme Court will never even see it, much less strike it down.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at August 24, 2011 05:42 PM | Send