“Thusly he has sent it back to the House (even to statehouses!) transmogrifed as a tax.
This isn’t a bad thing. The House can now starve the beast, and even moreso at the State level; while at the same time, every GOP candidate runs on Obama making this the biggest tax increase in history.”
You’re completely missing the big picture. Sure, in the short run this could be the downfall of Obama.
But this IS a bad thing. It’s a HORRIBLE, UNBELIEVABLY BAD thing. The Supreme Court has just declared that Congress can force almost ANYTHING on us (except perhaps telling the truth about military service), so long as the penalty for non-compliance is a tax. We are not a free country until this decision in reversed.
I would have rather Roberts just upheld the commerce clause argument rather than open this pandora's box.
What Roberts did goes far beyond this law.
Yes, but that’s the way it’s always been if you think about it. The tax code has been used to punish and reward for decades now.
At least the legislators have to stand up and call whatever they’re trying to do a tax and face the voters.