WSJ Article on Chief Justice Roberts

[Boltfan]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...myyahoo_module

Interesting takes if you are in the middle and don't see things as Right and Left.

[Laz]

I agree with the article to a large degree. The only thing I disagree with Roberts on is I do not think the court should change the terminology of legislation. Congress should not be allowed to pass a new tax but call it something else so that the public is fooled. That allows Congress to be deceptive which violates the public trust.

[I B Hankering]

These are articles in other journals expressing similar sentiments and explanations:


While the chief justice deemed the mandate constitutional as a tax, he did point out that it would not be constitutional under the commerce clause, which allows the federal government to police interstate commerce.
http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-the-conservative-chief-justice-found-the-insurance-mandate-was-constitutional-2012-6

Chief Justice Roberts actually ruled the mandate, relative to the commerce clause, was unconstitutional. That’s how the Democrats got Obama-care going in the first place. This is critical. His ruling means Congress can’t compel American citizens to purchase anything. Ever. The notion is now officially and forever, unconstitutional. As it should be.
http://www.ijreview.com/2012/06/9398-why-chief-justice-roberts-made-the-right-long-term-decision-with-obamacare/

Roberts' opened his opinion today by declaring, unequivocally, that the individual mandate — which requires people to buy insurance or pay a penalty — is not constitutional under the Commerce Clause or the Necessary and Proper Clause. It's a direct shot at the Obama administration's defense of the law's constitutionality, which largely relied on those two clauses, which give Congress the power to regulate commerce and to enact provisions that are necessary to carry out its laws, respectively.
Here are the key excerpts:
"Construing the Commerce Clause to permit Congress to regulate individuals precisely because they are doing nothing would open anew and potentially vast domain to congressional authority. Congress already possesses expansive power to regulate what people do.Upholding the Affordable Care Act under the Commerce Clause would give Congress the same license to regulate what people do not do. The Framers knew the difference between doing something and doing nothing. They gave Congress the power to regulate commerce, not to compel it. Ignoring that distinction would undermine the principle that the Federal Government is a government of limited and enumerated powers. The individual mandate thus cannot be sustained under Congress’s power to 'regulate Commerce.'"
http://www.businessinsider.com/actually-justice-roberts-demolished-obama-in-his-supreme-court-ruling-2012-6

[WTF]

I agree with Roberts. It was/is a tax. No matter WTF you call it.

If you do not like how Congress words things... vote them out. Do not blame Roberts for telling the truth.

[CJ7]

back during the slobber swappin when the decision was passed to the SC, the right was yelling it was a tax, its a tax ... I made the comment congress can tax you therefore it is constitutional ... Instantly I became a socialist, nazi, commie, marxist, Liberal.

gee, who knew?

[icuminpeace]

Unfortunately, if you're not an extreme rightie, you're a commie, marxist, socialist, blah, blah, blah, and if you're not an extreme leftie you're a conservative taliban. The polarization will continue as long as we have the single-party, sorry, dual-party system we have today. We fight, they laugh.

[joe bloe]

Originally Posted by icuminpeace

Unfortunately, if you're not an extreme rightie, you're a commie, marxist, socialist, blah, blah, blah, and if you're not an extreme leftie you're a conservative taliban. The polarization will continue as long as we have the single-party, sorry, dual-party system we have today. We fight, they laugh.

Is it true that everyone in Austin is a communist, or are there some socialists?

[icuminpeace]

You tell me...

[WTF]

Originally Posted by icuminpeace

You tell me...

He has to go check his e-mail from Rush before forming a thought...

[joe bloe]

Originally Posted by icuminpeace

You tell me...

You're the one in Austin. My theory is 80 to 20 (communist to socialist). Apparently, there's something in the water. If I have to go through Austin, I keep my windows rolled up, and don't get off I35.

[JDNorthface]

Originally Posted by WTF

He has to go check his e-mail from Rush before forming a thought...

[icuminpeace]

Alright, I'll play nice. Let's start with the fact that I'm not new here. Had to cancel my old account for personal reasons, but always enjoy reading the Sandbox. I don't like Democrats or Republicans. I'm dead center, extremes are always bad regardless (extreme drinking, extreme smoking, extreme eating, extreme partying, and yes, extreme politics are bad for you too). Both sides have 10% positive, 90% negative, and can't even figure out a way to take the 10% positive and make it work for the rest of America. Now that we have that out of the way, Austin is relatively liberal, but I wouldn't say socialist or communist. A lot of libertarians around. Having the UT campus, of course you'll have the left influence as always in most universities. But drive 20 minutes in any direction and you'll be in hardcore Republican country. By the way, I live about 20 minutes north of Austin, but of course you can't give out too much info around here.

[joe bloe]

Originally Posted by icuminpeace

Alright, I'll play nice. Let's start with the fact that I'm not new here. Had to cancel my old account for personal reasons, but always enjoy reading the Sandbox. I don't like Democrats or Republicans. I'm dead center, extremes are always bad regardless (extreme drinking, extreme smoking, extreme eating, extreme partying, and yes, extreme politics are bad for you too). Both sides have 10% positive, 90% negative, and can't even figure out a way to take the 10% positive and make it work for the rest of America. Now that we have that out of the way, Austin is relatively liberal, but I wouldn't say socialist or communist. A lot of libertarians around. Having the UT campus, of course you'll have the left influence as always in most universities. But drive 20 minutes in any direction and you'll be in hardcore Republican country. By the way, I live about 20 minutes north of Austin, but of course you can't give out too much info around here.

We currently have a crisis situation with deficit spending. Is it your feeling that the Republicans want to spend too little and the Democrats want to spend too much, and the best answer is in the middle?

Personally, I think both parties spend too much. I vote Republican because, they're the lesser of the two evils. I can't imagine finding the center ground on every question as a way of determining the best course of action. The old saying is moderation in all things. That has to include moderation itself. Sometimes the extremist position is the best one.

[CuteOldGuy]

Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.

[Whirlaway]

"Dead center" of everything means your just dead (in the head).