VA Attorney General: If We Lose, Government 'Will Be Able To Order' People To Buy Anything

CNSNews ^ | December 15, 2010 | Nicholas Ballasy

[jazusamo]

Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II was elected Attorney General of Virginia on November 3, 2009. (Photo from Cuccinelli’s official Web site)

(CNSNews.com) - Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli told CNSNews.com that the federal government will be able to “order” individuals to purchase any product or service if the individual mandate in health care law is determined to be constitutional by the Supreme Court.

Federal judge Henry Hudson for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled that the individual mandate was unconstitutional on Monday. Cuccinelli predicts that the case will ultimately lie in the hands in the Supreme Court.

“Unfortunately, it could affect an awful lot of different areas because then Congress has an incredibly broad power. They can try to affect and direct the economy just by ordering people to buy particular products,” Cuccinelli told CNSNews.com in Richmond after the ruling in his case was announced.

Video 5:00 minutes

Cuccinelli then provided an example of the power he says the government would have should he lose the case over the individual mandate in the health care law, which requires every individual to purchase health insurance.

“I drive a car, you know, brand X, maybe I don’t like brand X, those are the ones that don’t do as well in the market because they are not as good cars and those are the ones that seem to get subsidized,” he said.

“Well, instead of giving direct subsidizes now or buying the stock of GM, we’ll order Americans to buy product XX which if we lose this case, the federal government will have to power to do that, to positively impact the economy by ordering people to spend and that is an incredible power that the founding fathers would have never have envisioned for the Congress and the President and yet that’s exactly what they’re attempting to exercise in this legislation.”

Although the federal judge denied an injunction, Cuccinelli said he is comfortable with the declaratory judgment issued.

“I’m comfortable with it in the terms the judge stated it. He imposed a declaratory judgment,” he said.

“He acknowledged that the secretary had said you don’t need an injunction here judge because we will obey the outcome of your order, naturally and so the judge took them at their word and so long as they abide by the order, which I have every expectation that they will, it has the same functional outcome. So we’re perfectly comfortable with that; should any problem develop, we know who to go talk to and we’ll be in that judge’s courtroom again.”

[Waverunner]

Come on Va Atty General, We buy politician’s BS all the time.

[Pearls Before Swine]

It would be more direct if the government ordered us to buy things... now, they order stuff for us, and then force some of us to pay for it with a mix of taxes and inflation/devaluation.

[wastedyears]

If the government was able to force me to buy broccoli, I’d probably jump off a bridge.

[oh8eleven]

We buy politician’s BS all the time.
Whataya' mean "we?"

[jazusamo]

LOL!

You, me and GHW Bush. :)

[Waverunner]

Unfortunately, I mean those who vote. ( Don’t tell me you’ve never bought a politicians campaign rhetoric before, cause at some time you were idealistic and naive)

[goldi]

Well, supreme court justice Elena Kagen said just that recently.

[RockinRight]

This man will go places. US Attorney general under the next GOP administration perhaps...

[Lazlo in PA]

If we lose, the GOP needs to pass a law that everyone needs to buy a gun for public safety.

[oh8eleven]

Don’t tell me you’ve never bought a politicians campaign rhetoric before
"Nevvvva." I'm of Irish heritage, grew up in NYC and knew all about Tammany Hall, Boss Tweed and all the usual suspects loooong before I could vote.

[MrB]

There actually was a congressman recently that stated that Congress can regulate anything in your private life,
that there are no practical limitations on what they can decide for you.

[jazusamo]

I agree. He looks like a promising conservative and the Rats are afraid of him. Here's an editorial from yesterday if you haven't seen it.

Cuccinelli savors health care win

[mbarker12474]

Government can seize your property for ANY reason it declares to be in the general interest. (Kelo v New London)

Government can compel you to purchase a commercial product.

Government controls your access to health care.

This pretty much covers it, folks.

[jazusamo]

Not too surprising with the number of idiots that get elected. Grrrrrr

[E. Pluribus Unum]

It will open the floodgates, just like the Kelo decision opened the floodgates on eminent domain.

[MrB]

They get food and energy covered, you might as well hand them your balls.

And they’re working on food (SB510) and energy (Cap and tax).

[mrmeyer]

"what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms."

Thomas Jefferson, The Constitution/Bill of Rights, and I respectfully disagree with the attorney general.

[Vaquero]

'Will Be Able To Order' People To Buy Anything

[The KG9 Kid]

If this case is as critically important as I think, maybe they should let Alan Gura handle this in front of the US Supreme Court.

He's batting 1.000