Health Care Mandate Upheld

The Sixth Circuit upheld the individual mandate:

But the majority agreed with Neal K. Katyal, the acting United States solicitor general, who argued that individual choices to not purchase insurance, when taken in aggregate, have clear commercial effects because they shift the cost of caring for the uninsured to other payers.

The judges adopted Mr. Katyal’s argument that because the need for health care is unpredictable, it is impossible for individuals to opt out of the market. And they agreed that cost-shifting was inevitable so long as the federal government required hospitals to treat those who show up with life-threatening conditions.

An earnest libertarian would question the "must-treat" mandate, which started us on this slippery slope.  IIRC, I did question it somewhere, but Google fails me.

Comments

[narciso]

Yes someone tell Meghan Daum,

[Janet]

Illegals visiting in the Senate.

"...when hundreds of illegal immigrants filled the largest hearing room in the Senate to openly participate in the proceedings.

And they did so without threat of arrest from the nation’s chief immigration law enforcement official who was sitting in the front row: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano."

If citizens of other countries don't have to obey our laws, then why do I have to?

[centralcal]

Interesting. A commenter at Althouse says (via a Twitter post) that MessNBC has suspended Halperin as an analyst.

[Rick Ballard]

RC,

When Goldstein finally wised up, banned and set up registration to enforce the ban, the site still died. It takes a lot of discipline to keep a site going and I appreciate the effort TM makes. I'll be satisfied with whatever he decides to do.

I would note that progressive scum do this with malicious intent and have some success as wreckers. That shouldn't be a surprise, given how much they have destroyed in the past. It's not as if they have the intelligence or ability to build.

[daddy]

Doubt we'll get an answer from TM but I'd love to see TM give thread cleaner authority to someone for a week on a trial basis and then see what the verdict is.

[centralcal]

Yes - Halperin has been suspended "indefinitely." Hhhmmm - will he have to triple up on his suck-up-ism from here on out to redeem himself?

[Extraneus]

Didn't he just miss the age by less than a week? She turns thirteen on Monday.

[Janet]

Halperin should have called Obama a teabagger....that word seems to be okay. h/t Jammiewearingfool

[Chubby]

((I give you birfers another chance every once in a while, because I know most of you are capable of talking about other things. But you keep going back to the f@#$@# waste of time like you're leftists whining about Bush.)))

if you're not interested in impersonally discussing what the words in the Constitution mean that's your privilege. But imnho to color that debate as being in the same category as the personal attacks on Bush is a mistake.

[Chubby]

((I give you birfers another chance every once in a while, because I know most of you are capable of talking about other things. But you keep going back to the f@#$@# waste of time like you're leftists whining about Bush.)))

if you're not interested in impersonally discussing what the words in the Constitution mean that's your privilege. But imnho to color that debate as being in the same category as the personal attacks on Bush is a mistake.

[Extraneus]

So has anyone in the media expanded on Haplerin's point? He called Obama a dick for how he behaved during the press conference, didn't he?

[Chubby]

how in the heck did that get posted twice???

[narciso]

That's heresy, cc, many hours at Room 101, so it will be confirmed 'he loves big brother' once more,

[Clarice]

Dana Milbank today in the WaPo says he found Obama's churlish behavior at the presser "refreshing".

[Melinda Romanoff]

Halperin suspended by MSNBC.

[Rob Crawford]

When Goldstein finally wised up, banned and set up registration to enforce the ban, the site still died.

Weird. Site's still there. People still comment there. Had a 200+ comment thread just the other day.

[Rob Crawford]

Dana Milbank today in the WaPo says he found Obama's churlish behavior at the presser "refreshing".

Milbank calls Obama's flatus "refreshing".

[Chubby]

DoT

I'll have to think about that. I was born outside the U.S.A. to a father who met the stated criteria and a mother who was not a U.S. citizen. I have never considered myself as a "natural born" American citizen, so I have to rethink it.

[Janet]

Halperin of Time, along with Roger Simon of Politico were the ones lamenting the Weiner fiasco on Charlie Rose. They were friends of Weiner...& said Weiner & Spitzer were such smart politicians.

[Janet]

actually it was Halperin & Rose that knew Weiner well...not sure about Simon.

[RichatUF]

Chubby-

My problem with it is that the issue has been well-covered and he is not convincing anyone nor moving anything forward. The Obama Administration is doing many things that need aired out and always going back to a topic that others have asked to be dropped is disruptive. Obama's president.

As far as registration and the like, I'm not sure. Jeff's site was unreadable after the trolls got done with it and this place is getting to be that way. Tom's asked the more obnoxious ones to leave, one would think they could take the hint.

[Ignatz]

--Tom's asked the more obnoxious ones to leave, one would think they could take the hint.--

Rich,
As a strategy, I would compare it unfavorably with asking cockroaches or silverfish to leave and expecting them to take the hint.

[narciso]

From the Politico link, I assume in Ace:

Scarborough: Delay that. delay that. what are you doing? i can’t believe — Iwas joking. Don’t do that. Did we delay that?

Halperin: I said it. I hope it worked.

Scarborough: My mom is watching! We’ll know whether it worked or not.

[Chubby]

((The Obama Administration is doing many things that need aired out and always going back to a topic that others have asked to be dropped is disruptive. Obama's president.))

Hi Rich,

add me to the list of people who were gladdened by your news yesterday.

I don't see the debate about the meaning of "natural born" as being about Obama at all. I see it as being about the Constitution. Surely political debate topics can include more than Obama's blunders?

[Melinda Romanoff]

Rich & Ig-

It's just a consistent effort by those on the left to silence dissent to their collectivist message. I liken it to having to stand facing a cold rain. It's unpleasant, but I withstand more than they can throw at me.

The current cnp campaign is just the latest attempt to get the copyright police after the blogger and shut it down that way. Or get it labelled as a hate site, which would chop the ad fill for the host.

Why they want to kill everything they touch broaches on sadism, to me. And completely childish.

[Jack is Back!]

Anything that dries up the flow of obtuse and irrelevant copy and past and bold drivel that is off topic and not nearly has interesting or controversial as the trolls and show-offs believe it is. If it is monitors or registration I really don't care but since I use Safari instead of Firefox I can't install the narcisolator plus Cleo seems to have a dozen or so alias now anyway. Almost impossible to filter him out using the narcisolator.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

MessNBC has suspended Halperin as an analyst.

Let's compare this with what they said in a daily basis about Bush. We wouldn't want any hypocrisy, now would we?

Can someone explain why this Casey Anthony trial is on TV wall to wall?

Who cares?

[Chubby]

((I liken it to having to stand facing a cold rain. It's unpleasant, but I withstand more than they can throw at me.))

Melinda, yesterday I was thinking about having to scroll by the agitprop compared to being a Revolutionary soldier walking barefoot in the snow. The scrolling seemed infinitely easier.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Barefoot in the snow?

OK, now that would really s*&k.

[RichatUF]

LOL. Well put. Not sure what the blog equivalent of a fumigation and spring cleaning would be? It just pisses me off that the trolls can come here, shit on the floor, and all the great people and great ideas have to find a new abode. It is the "new digital maoism" in action.

I haven't seen JM Hanes in a while and her comments are always top shelf. Haven't wheeled over to matt's place either but his comments are always enjoyable too. I've learned so much by reading Tom's posts and the regular's comments. A collection of talent, experience, and friendship that is unmatched elsewhere.

[narciso]

There is certainly malice, involved, but could it be, that their nutrootery doesn't get as many clicks, being as they've become just too foolish for words

[Rick Ballard]

Will the Supreme Court necessarily incorporate a rationale regarding each decision when they overturn Obamacare or will they simply support Vinson's reasoning with the other decisions falling as a result?

[matt]

actually, I thought Obama was a weiner.....

[RichatUF]

Chubby-

1. The topic seems to wheel back to that direction.

2. Immigration (and maybe I can give rse another chapter-"bi-lingual education" and the bad ideas that popped out of USC in the late 80's that were imports from Germany and the Gastarbeiter program) issues would be solved with tighter border security and visa controls. I'm not sure having a generation of people born in this county not being given citizenship would have much upside. But nothing much is going to be done until the tranzi left is kicked out of DC and weeded out of the federal bureaucracy.

[MarkO]

It may be on because the prosecution is nearly so awful as in the OJ case. Maybe it's because everyone loves toothless, wild-eyed southern folk who kill their kin.

Actually, it's because of the need for content. Massive need for content.

[Rob Crawford]

Actually, it's because of the need for content. Massive need for content.

God knows there's nothing else to report about.

[cathyf]

Unless you consider U.S. military bases and embassies as American soil.

I think that more often than not military giving birth overseas do so in the local maternity hospital because only the very largest bases have on-site hospitals that deliver babies.

(Minot and Cheyenne have flourishing midwifery practices because Air Force women are posted to England and have babies there with midwives, and then when they are posted back to the US they want to use a midwife again. Wyoming outlaws midwifery, so they give birth just over the border in Colorado.)

[Janet]

Can someone explain why this Casey Anthony trial is on TV wall to wall?

I noticed that when I was down in Texas (parents have on FOX all day). I had never heard about it.

[Clarice]

"massive need for content (for dummies)"

There. Now it's corrected.

[Dave (in MA)]

Happy 4th, conservatives. Oh, well. The libs still have 4/15, May Day and Cinco de Quatro celebrations to call their own.

[Ignatz]

--I liken it to having to stand facing a cold rain.--

Mel,
That works as a metaphor only if TM locked us all outside and lost the keys and nobody brought an umbrella.
Most folks eventually have enough sense to come in out of the rain. If TM doesn't put a roof on his place I suspect he'll find people looking for some other dry spot.

[maryrose]

The Anthony case caters to the lowest common denominator of intelligence. The kids are home in summer and as Rob says there is no other news to report.
Halperin must be punished now because he dared to speak the truth on live television. I hope the meme of Obama being a "dick" is repeated ad nauseum. The truth hurts as today's jobless claims reiterate. We are going to hell in a handbasket and Obama is pointing fingers and trying to blame everyone else for his Tarp{paid back} Stimulus { a complete dud} and Obamacare{ soon to be declared unconstitutional} His presidency thus far is a bust and he knows it. Time for him to go into attack mode.He won't go near ATF because he knows Holder is Guilty, guilty, guilty! As far as Libya goes he said the STRUGGLE would be days, not weeks or months-he thinks we are all as stupid and forgetful as he is,well we are not. His wink wink to Gay Marriage is disgusting. Be a man and come out and support it. Believe me after that disgusting performance yesterday being called a "dick" seems like a mild reprimand to me.Ignore the trolls-this is TM's and the Jomers site-trolls can pound sand!

[Extraneus]

I hope the meme of Obama being a "dick" is repeated ad nauseum.

Rush is already calling him Dick Obama.

[Janet]

There ya go, Extraneus! The new Tricky Dick.

[Andrew_M_Garland]

The Commerce clause of the Constitution was supposed to maintain free trade between the states. The US was new, each state was full of greedy politicians (as now), and this allowed the new Federal government to keep the states from levying destructive tariffs and other rules on each other which would limit trade between them.

It wasn't a rule to grant federal power to regulate a business in detail if it sells something across state lines. It was actually the opposite of that.

Roosevelt and the New Deal forced the current interpretation as a way to impose federal government control. Sell a donut across state lines? The Feds apply donut regulations to you. There are rulings that prducing and consuming your own milk affects interstate prices, so the Feds can apply regulations to you. It is completely natural to apply the same reasoning to just sitting there being uninsured. It is entirely consistent with past rulings and the power of the Feds. It is a bit late to wake up, blink, and say "that isn't reasonable, to regulate us just because someone might see us across a state line".

At this point, accept that you are the serf/pawn of the government "for your own good". You have the choice of electing whomever you wish, but they get dictatorial power over you until the next election.

Understand your natural rights. Think hard about what you want the country to be like for your children and for you as you get older. Demand that the Constitution be changed to make its limitations binding, and correct the idiotic rulings which prevent a supposedly free people from asking each other questions (employment law) and trading with each other.

Russians and Nigerians (for example) are not overall less intelligent, less hard working, or less concerned about their lives than we in the US. They lack a tradition of freedom and they have dictatorial government. We in the US can become much more like them. All we need is the right sort of government, the sort we are seeing implemented right now.

[Rob Crawford]

How long until we hear the White House called MSNBC before the suspension was announced?

How long until we hear the suspension was decided on "with White House input"?

[Melinda Romanoff]

{Crickets}

[Ignatz]

--It wasn't a rule to grant federal power to regulate a business in detail if it sells something across state lines. It was actually the opposite of that.--

Exactly right but the courts have now turned the constitution on its head, so according to some we are now bound to accept the chains of slavery that Patrick Henry warned us about because they have been applied by judges duly appointed by elected officials, themselves usurpers of the constitution and our rights.

--Russians and Nigerians (for example) are not overall less intelligent, less hard working, or less concerned about their lives than we in the US. They lack a tradition of freedom and they have dictatorial government.--

Nigeria has considerably more turnover in its government than a good many US states and cities do and it no doubt has less corrupt elections than a good many of them.

[Ignatz]

In Nigeria you go vote and then die in the ensuing violence.
In Chicago you die in some random violence and then you go vote.

[Danube of Thought]

Sell a donut across state lines? The Feds apply donut regulations to you.

It's worse than that. Make and sell a donut locally, and if either the sugar or the flour traveled in interstate commerce and they'll regulate you.

[Porchlight]

Clarice asked earlier re: the Halperin story "can you doubt the tide is turning?"

It does feel like the tide is turning. But I've been wrong on this many times. What do you all thik?

[Porchlight]

or "think"...

[Danube of Thought]

I would like to see McConnell say, "well, the corporate jet tax break was part of your stimulus plan, but if you've decided you no longer like it, fine, we'll repeal it. Now let's talk about cuts."

[Andrew_M_Garland]

Ignaz, you wrote

"In Nigeria you go vote ..."

I'm going to quote you, unless you strenuously object.

[Extraneus]

Rush mentioned the corporate jet acceleration depreciation, and how its elimination will raise $3B. I read somewhere that it's $3B over 10 years.

[Dave (in MA)]

If Halperin had called Bush a dick on PMSNBC do you think he'd get suspended?

[Danube of Thought]

According to Krauthammer yesterday, if you collected the revenue excluded by the corporate jet deduction for 5,000 years you would cover one year of Obama's debt. If you had started collecting it during the time of John the Baptist you would be less than halfway to covering one year's debt.

If you collected the revenue excluded by the oil depletion allowance for 700 years you would cover one year of Obama's debt.

If you collected both for 100 years you would cover the debt Obama incurred in February.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

How long until we hear the White House called MSNBC before the suspension was announced?

I assume there is an open line at all times. What else would Bambi be doing until 10:30 AM.

Porch, I started to feel the tide turning about a month ago.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

According to Krauthammer yesterday, if you collected the revenue excluded by the corporate jet deduction for 5,000 years you would cover one year of Obama's debt. If you had started collecting it during the time of John the Baptist you would be less than halfway to covering one year's debt.

If you collected the revenue excluded by the oil depletion allowance for 700 years you would cover one year of Obama's debt.

If you collected both for 100 years you would cover the debt Obama incurred in February.

Did you actually remember that? I saw the rerun of the news at 4:00 AM and I so wanted to remember that for the radio this morning. Not on your bloody life.

[Soylent Red]

(("well, the corporate jet tax break was part of your stimulus plan, but if you've decided you no longer like it, fine, we'll repeal it. Now let's talk about cuts repealing the rest of your stimulus plan and applying the unspent money to deficit reduction."))

That's what I'd like to see McConnell say.

Also, since Tricky Dick and Dirty Dick have already been applied to Richard Nixon, I would like to propose...

Slippery Dick Hussein Obama.

[narciso]

They have admitted they read the WH talking points, but the Skitter's harness, slipped
for a moment, and he said the truth (Falling Skies reference)

[Soylent Red]

I assume there is an open line at all times. What else would Bambi be doing until 10:30 AM.

Sleeping in. Watching ESPN. Putting into a glass. Admiring himself in the mirror.

These are full days at the Obama White House.

[Janet]

Slippery Dick Hussein Obama.

Okay...I'll second that.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

One of our Tea party members has come up with a Tree Party logo. You can see it here.

We are seeking donations from lots of places that do not donate to political causes. I think his logo is apolitical yet captures the essence of the tea party. Do you guys agree?

[Danube of Thought]

"Did you actually remember that?"

I replayed it on the DVR and took notes.

And I second Soylent's idea.

[Chubby]

the left knows better than anyone how valuable ridicule is to take down political enemies. That is why they are freaking out about one of their own giving the right such a great freebie

[Janet]

It's wonderful, Jane!

[Jane (Slippery Dick Hussein Obama) sucks]

Do you need a third? (I hate Robert's Rules)

[Janet]

Here it is -

[Chubby]

Jane

"Replanting our Roots"

wonderful!

[cathyf]

Jane, if you go repeating the "collect it for 5000 years..." statistic, make sure that you finish off with a caveat that the calculation assumes that people won't buy fewer corporate jets if the break is eliminated, and so the government wouldn't get that tax money anyway. And that 2 years ago Obama put the tax credit in the stimulus precisely because he argued that the government wasn't going to get the tax money anyway, and at least with the extra jet sales they will get the taxes from all the extra people who have jobs building the jets.

So now Obama's "contribution" to narrowing the deficit is something that he already agreed 2 years ago will actually make the deficit worse!

[Porchlight]

Love that image.

[Janet]

Jane, Is there donation info available yet?

[Jim Ryan]

I read somewhere that it's $3B over 10 years.

Plus, sales will plummet, so it will be far less.

By the way, can anyone imagine Obama filling up an eight-hour day working at the White House? What would he do?

[Jim Ryan]

Wait, I thought something cathyf thought! These brain-nutrition supplements must be working.

[Porchlight]

I'm sure his schedule is just the tip of the iceberg.

When are people in the WH going to start leaking damaging info? How do the Dems manage to keep such a tight lid on everything? Surely there are people in the administration who are furious with Obama.

I really do admire Dem cohesion at times.

[Janet]

Seems like years ago churches & civic organizations used to do many things that people look to government for now. IMO it was healthier having citizens that were interested in a specific area funding that interest rather than making us all pay for their interests through government & taxes.

I'd rather be taxed less & use my charitable giving for what I care about. I don't want to fund PP or pay for NPR...let people that love those organizations give to those organizations.

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

A dick???? OMG - Calling Pres. Hokey a dick is an insult to dicks everywhere in our great country.

And isn't it a blessing for Halperin that he didn't say "chimp"? He would be on his way to Leavenworth or at least to an undisclosed location.
----------
Too wonderful, Iggy; I can see why Andrew M. Garland (come more often!) wants to share your remarks.

[Jane (Slippery Dick Hussein Obama) sucks]

Geez Janet, I need the hits!!!!

[Jane (Slippery Dick Hussein Obama) sucks]

There will be Janet, right now we are trying to get things organized locally and then state wide. Someone is doing a web site, etc. I need a community organizer.

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

Jim, that's one ripped brain you've developed. Whey protein works in mysterious ways.

"By the way, can anyone imagine Obama filling up an eight-hour day working at the White House? What would he do?"

That's really scary to think about. Thank goodness he is shy about work.

[Ralph L]

O spends the rest of the day fund raising and hiding from Michelle.

[Jim Ryan]

Frau, I don't mean scary; I mean literally what could he do? Can anyone imagine me filling up an eight-hour shift at a nanoparticle engineering lab? I guess I could tidy the place up for ten minutes. But then what?

[Thomas Collins]

Although the LUNed (via Instapundit) article on static electricity is not about climate science, it does give one a sense that "settled science" is often a judgment articulated for political reasons, not a judgment based on the modern scientific method, and that "settled science" may be more subject to challenge when prog interests are not perceived to be at stake.

[centralcal]

Twitter:

Sam Youngman
Carney called MSNBC to tell them the WH was not happy

-----------------

Can you imagine how upset The Big O must have been? I mean, MessNBC is his BFF.

[narciso]

Accidentally create a wormhole that would lead back to 1943, Jim.

[Extraneus]

It's pretty easy for a weak manager to allow his underlings to put multiple repeating meetings on his calendar, enough to take up every hour of every day.

Various people would want one-on-ones, all kinds of face time for their teams, etc., etc.

Since he's apparently not a strong manager, the blank schedule indicates that others are controlling the calendar, and limiting his activities.

[Ignatz]

--I'm going to quote you, unless you strenuously object.--

Quote away. I neglected to copyright it.

[DrJ]

Can anyone imagine me filling up an eight-hour shift at a nanoparticle engineering lab?

C'mon out, Jim! I'd have an easy time finding things for you to do that easily would fill eight hours. Our Ultrapure water supply is leaking at the moment, for example.

(Yes, we do use nanoparticles in our work.)

[Dave (in MA)]

I guess I could tidy the place up for ten minutes. But then what?

[Dave (in MA)]

Or...

[Janet]

Sorry Jane.
My spiritual gifts are being a bull in a china shop, being a buttinsky, & being a wisenheimer. :(

[Janet]

Hahaha! Dave. Too funny!

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

Executive orders, signing statements and presidential pardons (Mumia, anyone?) are scary. I guess he could just point at the auto-pen but the damage to the U.S. increases the more he actually engages in his presidential "gig."

[Jim Ryan]

Our Ultrapure water supply is leaking

Sorry DrJ. I got nothing. I could call the guy to come fix it. Watching him work would puzzle and bewilder me. Do I get health care and 401K?

[DebinNC]

It's amazing to see how little work Obama has ever done. VJ's description of him being bored every day of his life is probably true. He's incapable of working, except for working out, which I bet he's addicted to. I bet he literally can't stand to attend to anything outside of himself for more than a few minutes at a time.

[cathyf]

Hey, Jim, trying to straighten up most working labs is the sort of behavior that just might get you killed. I try to stick with sit-in-the-corner-and-keep-my-mouth-shut as much as possible.

(Ok, maybe not keeping my mouth shut, but I do keep my hands to myself!)

[DrJ]

Jim,

The supply is just plumbing. Well, fancy plumbing, with prefilters, ultrafiltration membranes, a mixed-bed ion exchanger, and a hollow-fiber membrane degassing unit.

The leak is still just plumbing.

I'm generous with providing health care insurance, beyond that you are pretty much on your own. We'll be moving to stock options pretty soon though!

:)

[Porchlight]

The only task he could be said to have "worked" at extensively is campaigning, an activity in which he can expect to have sunshine blown at him just about 24/7, which is what keeps him going.

[jimmyk]

I wouldn't want anyone to judge from my calendar how many hours I work. Most of my work is sitting at my desk using my computer (and not just for JOM), and doesn't show up on my calendar. In Barry's case, though, I suspect it overstates his work. A lot of that stuff on the calendar isn't even work, it's glorified campaigning and self-glorification. Or he's napping on AF1. And I kind of doubt he's spending the unscheduled time at his computer doing research or solving mathematical models.