[WKUHilltopper]

Why sure he likes it. The whole place is rotting with traitors.

[dagogo redux]

I’m confused: in what way is a tax - backed up by armed IRS agents - not a “mandate”?

[Terry Mross]

I wonder who it was who called him and told him to change his tune.

[kabar]

which he found upheld individual liberty and curbed federal power even as it left the law in place.

I am more concerned about the ends than the means. If Congress can use the tax system to compel someone to buy something, isn't that a loss of liberty?

[COBOL2Java]

The court also ruled that the government cannot withdraw existing Medicaid funding from states that opt against a big expansion of Medicaid eligibility.

Well, we've now learned that the federal government can punish states in other ways. Witness Arizona.

Imagine down the road Colorado has announced it will opt against Medicaid eligibility expansion. Obama: "Wild fires? Sorry, can't afford to do anything about em - burn baby burn!" Or Louisiana gets hit by another hurricane. Obama: "Sorry! Y'all have got too many Republicans down there. You're on your own!"

[secret garden]

Perplexing ping.

[Truth29]

Huh? If the taxing authority can be used to make you buy or do anything, is this really a difference?

[cynwoody]

The court ruled that Americans could be required to secure health insurance, but under Congress’s taxing authority, not under the Constitution’s commerce clause. That means the “individual mandate” has been deemed a tax

But, given it's a tax, is it a constitutional tax?

It's not a federal income tax, which would be legal under the 16th Amendment. It's also not a federal excise tax, since it's based merely on existing, not on using something or carrying on some activity. Nor, obviously, is it a tariff.

So, it must be a head tax or capitation, which, according to Article I, must be laid "in proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken." Any lawyers care to elucidate that?

[throwback]

This subtlety is just lost on me. If the government is making me do something that I don’t think it should be allowed to under penalty of some fine, how exactly is it different whether the fee is called a fine, a tax, a dog’s butt, or whatever? I’m freer if I’m being compelled by a penalty with the proper name?

[Will88]

An activist judge will decide what outcome he or she wants and then supply the rationale. It looks like Roberts might now be in that category along with the four leftists on the court. Anyone who thinks such activist judges will be restrained by some new interpretation of the commerce clause, or taxing authority or anything else is living in a fantasy world.

Activist, liberal justices will arrive at the conclusion they desire.

The only positive to be found today is that the ruling should reignite the Tea Party fire, then bring many more to it to significantly increase the odds of defeating Obama, holding the House and taking the Senate.

[HenpeckedCon]

On the bright side, since SCOTUS ruled the “mandate” is a tax, not “commerce”, a Republican majority Senate will be able to get rid of it through “budget reconciliation” with 51 votes and the Rats will not be able to filibuster.

[Windflier]

The three branches of our government obviously no longer enjoy "the consent of the governed", therefore they are essentially illegitimate, possessing only the threat of force (and fear) to exercise power over us.

It's about time we all recognized this fundamental breakdown in the social compact, and made it clear to every agent of government in Washington. They need to be officially unrecognized by the people, and fired en masse.

It's time to simply pull the plug and start over. Heck, pull out the phone book and appoint new leadership from the first 545 names listed. Nearly anything would be better than this.

I'm not kidding. It's time for a civil rebellion, the likes of which this country has never seen.

[paul51]

all politicians will come to love this ruling. It means the federal gov’t controls our lives, our earnings, everything we do, everything we own and everything we eat and breath. If you are a tyrant, what's not to love. The only card free men in this country have left to play is rebellion. Unfortunately, most capable of it have been neutered.

[LibLieSlayer]

“ANYONE that supports this decision by roberts is STARK RAVING MAD”

Mark Levin 6/28/2012

[Gopher Broke]

Like many things on WAPO, this is a complete distortion of what our AG Cuccinelli said.

For his ACTUAL words, see http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2900924/posts

[BuckeyeTexan]

FReepmail me to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the SCOTUS ping list.

[Salvation]

**the ruling, which he found upheld individual liberty and curbed federal power even as it left the law in place.**

BTTT — the truth is starting to come out. I saw it right away.