Kind of a big news day. Here are the top six stories:
- SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS HEALTH-CARE LAW (WashPost) — Hey, it’s not just me. The WashPost also put it in all caps. The subhed: Roberts joins liberal wing, says mandate is permissible. You might also want to check out the NYT report, as they historically do an excellent job of explaining court decisions.
- Health Care Law Upheld: Now What? (NPR) — A look at where we stand now.
- House holds Eric Holder in contempt (The Guardian) — And then the Republicans were all like, “Oh, yeah? Well then, we’ll just cite your AG with contempt!”
- 5 witnesses say Haley did nothing wrong (thestate.com) — I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a feeling that when these unprecedented hearings are over, the gov is gonna walk. You?
- Murdoch to invest billions in the US (The Guardian) — Apparently, the grass looks greener over here, where we’re not all in his face over phone-hacking. Otherwise, the story is about the Big Split that has been foreshadowed the last couple of days.
- Stocks Bounce Back (WSJ) — Apparently because of encouraging news out of Europe.
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All I know is I felt a teeny bit better at 11 AM about the America my son is going to grow up in than I did at 9 AM.
I suspect that Gov. Haley is safe until someone discovers her coming back from Argentina when she was supposed to be on the Appalachian trail.
Has anybody seen the photoshoped illustration of a smiling President holding up an I-Pad with the headline “Healthcare Plan Overturned”. It was a takeoff of the famous Truman photo after the ’48 election with the newspaper reading “Dewey Defeats Truman”. Funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time.
Here’s a link to what i cited above:
http://www.businessinsider.com/thanks-cnn-you-gotta-love-this-photoshop-of-obamas-dewey-defeats-truman-moment-with-an-ipad-2012-6
Here’s my list of winners and losers in the Healthcare Decision:
POTUS – Another victory adding to his image as a strong and decisive leader
SCOTUS – Especially Roberts who reached a bipartisan, and correct solution that will be remembered for decades as a landmark event in American history
Young People – Many will now obtain healthcare who otherwise would not, thanks to the mandate.
Old People – The donut hole will still be closed
Sick People – No pre-existing condition ban
Poor People – Medicaid will cover more people. Some states will likely balk but many will sign on to the expansion of this important program.
Rush Limbaugh – The dittoheads that were turned off by the “slut” comments will likely return for some new right wing indoctrination.
Losers
Mitt Romney – How does he go forward? He now has to campaign against his own signature achievement. Had the court gone the other way he would have an out. Now he has to navigate a tricky path which seems an impossible task.
GOP – They are left with the worn out tax argument as their only real line of attack. Given the modest tax implication compared to the huge benefits I don’t see this as a winning issue. But the spin machine is incredibly good at making a silk purse out of a sows ear so I don’t want to sell Karl Rove and his bunch short. Still, it is not a good hand to play.
Big Insurance – With 80% rule in tact it will be difficult soak policy owners. But they will have access to young, healthy folks who will now buy insurance. Perhaps a wash for these folks.
Fox News and CNN – What an embarassing moment trying to be first with the news. We should expect better from these 21st century news outfits.
@Karen–Walking the Appalachian Trail didn’t finish off Sanford, why Haley?
@ bud – you forgot to add the rich and middle class to the “losers” column. 😉
@bud – How are they going to pay for the increase in Medicaid coverage? Friends of mine who are doctors are already turning Medicaid patients away because Medicaid doesn’t even pay enough to cover the costs of many procedures. You can’t stay in business long if you lose money helping every patient.
@Kathryn. She hasn’t got Bauer next in line.
You can always count on bud to approach things with a balanced view. There is always an infinite supply of tax dollars from “the rich” to pay for the wants and needs of “all the rest of us fine people”.
Off-topic, but interesting.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/06/south-carolina-passes-bill-against-municipal-broadband/
Oooh, Karen–Good point, and now she DOES have Glenn McConnell next in line instead of Ard, she’d best keep watch.
Doug with the individual “responsibility” aspect of the healthcare law in tact insurance costs should go down since young, healthy folks are now insured and they will contribute to the risk pool. Further, with the 80% limit insurance companies will have to pass the savings along. Customers are already benifiting from the 80% rule with refunds on the way. Besides why does everything have to be some kind of class warfare exercise. No one even mentioned the “rich” until Silence did so and now Doug. Seems like the rich don’t really need all this defending given their extreme wealth accumulation over the past 30 years. Personally I’d take up a cause for something really in danger like polar bears or whales.
@ bud – it’s not the already rich who need defending. It’s the young folks like me who are still getting rich.
Oh, and costs are going to go up, not down. I’m not usually a betting man, but I’d be happy to make a gentleman’s bet with you on it.
One can only hope, Kathryn.