It was also crystal clear Obamacare was illegal. Yet the court fabricated an absurd rationale for upholding a law, that even if Congress lacked the constitutional power to do it, it could still penalize them for failing to comply through a “tax” (penalty). Among other things decision runs contrary to California Coastal Commission v. Nolan, where the then Supreme Court said government was forbidden to do indirectly (through the forcing of conditions to comply) that which it was prohibited to do directly.
I think obama has lost this case so he is having a public hissy fit to try to intimidate the court into reducing the impact of its ruling, letting the subsidies ride a little longer.
If he thought he had won this case, obama would not be trashing the court.
I think john Roberts has had enough of this petulant teenager and is about to tell him to pound sand. I also think Roberts deeply regrets the stupidity of his 2012 decision. He truly believed the electorate would take care of this monstrosity in the presidential election.
Remember: scotus follows election returns, eg 2014 wipeout.