Thursday, June 25, 2015
From: Gary L. Bauer
Supremes Save Obamacare Again
Today’s 6-to-3 decision upholding Obamacare’s subsidy scheme marks the second time that the nation’s highest court has saved Obamacare. As infuriating as the decision is, the ruling really wasn’t much of a surprise.
Everyone knew the four left-wing justices would side with the administration, as they did in 2012. And as he did in 2012, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion in this case, King v. Burwell, and was joined by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who frequently sides with the left.
Justice Antonin Scalia ripped the majority’s reasoning, and suggested that the Supreme Court should assume ownership of the law. Scalia wrote:
“Words no longer have meaning if an Exchange that is not established by a State is ‘established by the State.’ . . . Under all the usual rules of interpretation, in short, the Government should lose this case. But normal rules of interpretation seem always to yield to the overriding principle of the present Court: The Affordable Care Act must be saved. . . . We should start calling this law SCOTUScare.”
In his closing remarks, Chief Justice Roberts attempted to justify his decision as an exercise of judicial restraint — showing deference to the wishes of our elected representatives. Here’s what he wrote:
“In a democracy, the power to make the law rests with those chosen by the people. Our role is more confined. That is easier in some cases than in others. But in every case, we must respect the role of the Legislature and take care not to undo what it has done.”
While I applaud the spirit behind his words, I have little confidence that this court will respect the role of state legislatures and the voters of dozens of states when it comes to the meaning of marriage. I am more than willing to be proven wrong, and we will find out very soon.
Democrats Against Iran Deal
In a strongly worded statement today, the Washington Post editorial board warned President Obama against making any more concessions to Iran during the finals days of negotiations over its nuclear program.
Ironically, today’s Post also featured a significant story noting how the administration is making additional concessions. For example, Obama has made much of his threat to “snap back sanctions” if Iran is caught violating the terms of the deal.
Well, it seems he is caving on that point too. According to the Post, the administration is seeking “flexibility to reimpose limited sanctions” and that sanctions would only “inch back” if we detected “minor breaches.”
In other words, the administration is expecting Iran to cheat and it will only get a slap on the wrist for doing so.
Meanwhile, there are reports that Obama’s growing concessions are making congressional Democrats nervous. In fact, even five former advisers to President Obama are publicly warning that his concessions “may fall short of meeting the administration’s own standard of a ‘good’ agreement.”
Farrakhan’s Flag Flap
Rush Limbaugh predicted it on his show this week. He warned that the fight over the Confederate battle flag would eventually encompass the American flag. Many people dismissed his remarks as hyperbole, but Rush was right. Many on the left say the same things about the American flag that are said about the Confederate flag.
You may think that is absurd, but it is not to those who are saying it. University professors say the American flag is a flag of terrorism. Native Americans claim it is a flag of genocide. Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, said this yesterday:
“I don’t know what the hell the fight is about over the Confederate flag! We need to put the American flag down. . . Who are we fighting today? It’s the people that carry the American flag. What flag do the police have? . . . What flag flies over the White House?
Don’t overlook Farrakhan’s choice of words — he wants to put the American flag down just as you would put down a rabid animal.
His audience at the historic Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., roared its approval.
By the way, how did Farrakhan get into that pulpit? Everyone knows he is a Jew-hating bigot. But Metropolitan AME Church is not just any church. It is just a few blocks from the White House. Presidents, including Obama, have worshipped there.
Farrakhan’s remarks are outrageous. I am still waiting for members of Congress to denounce them. The person who now resides in the White House should speak up, but to the best of my knowledge Obama has remained silent.
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