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Supreme court health care case – live Supreme court health care case – live
(40 minutes later)
11.21am: The Tea Party Patriots lectern from which GOP members of Congress are speaking outside the Supreme Court this morning is adorned with a picture of recently deceased provocateur/shouty person Andrew Breitbart.
One of those speaking from said lectern this morning is the always ... entertaining... Rep. Louis Gohmert of Texas, who's not known for filtering out his worst ideas so much as he is for screaming them at full volume. Via The Hill, here's Gohmert commenting yesterday on why liberals should fear the rise of a "redneck" president:
It ought to scare liberals to come run and join conservatives, because what it means is when this president's out of the White House and you get a conservative in there, if this president has the authority under ObamaCare … to trample on religious rights, then some redneck president's got the right to say, 'you know what, there's some practices that go on in your house that cost people too much money and healthcare, so we're going to have the right to rule over those as well.'
We'll get this translated to English shortly.
10.58am: It sounds like Justice Anthony Kennedy, the eternal "swing vote" on the bench, isn't taking it easy on the Solicitor General as the hearing starts. From the Wall Street Journal:
Mr. Kennedy has been challenging Solicitor General Donald Verrilli to answer what the justice says is a "very heavy burden of justification" to show where the Constitution authorizes Congress to change the relation of the individual to the government.
10.56am: Russian president Dmitri Medvedev has responded to Mitt Romney's allegation on CNN yesterday that Russia is "without question our number one geopolitical foe," with something between a laugh and a sigh (and a sneer):
I always get very cautious when I see a country resort to phrasings such as 'No. 1 enemy.' It is very reminiscent of Hollywood in a certain period of history," Medvedev said, through a translator, at the nuclear security summit in Seoul, South Korea. [...]
My other advice is to check their clocks from time to time," Medvedev said Tuesday. "It is 2012, not the mid-1970s. No matter what party a candidate represents, he has to take the current state of affairs into account."
10.39am: Chief Justice John Roberts uttered a line on Monday that's drawing attention from SCOTUS-watchers, as it could be perceived as him "tipping his hand" on the individual mandate: "The idea that the mandate is something separate from whether you want to call it a penalty or tax just doesn't seem to make much sense."10.39am: Chief Justice John Roberts uttered a line on Monday that's drawing attention from SCOTUS-watchers, as it could be perceived as him "tipping his hand" on the individual mandate: "The idea that the mandate is something separate from whether you want to call it a penalty or tax just doesn't seem to make much sense."
This goes right against the core of one of the opposition's main arguments: That the government is commanding people to purchase something they may not want – health insurance – and this is a strike against their liberty. But Roberts points out, this is basically an issue of semantics. It's just a tax or a penalty; the word "mandate" is, if anything, poor politics on the Obama administration's part, but not a difference-maker in terms of constitutionality.This goes right against the core of one of the opposition's main arguments: That the government is commanding people to purchase something they may not want – health insurance – and this is a strike against their liberty. But Roberts points out, this is basically an issue of semantics. It's just a tax or a penalty; the word "mandate" is, if anything, poor politics on the Obama administration's part, but not a difference-maker in terms of constitutionality.
But this could be an overread!But this could be an overread!
10.14am: Check out the hot scoop in Politico today: Mitt Romney is a rich person, with a big house.10.14am: Check out the hot scoop in Politico today: Mitt Romney is a rich person, with a big house.
10.00am: Good morning. This is Jim Newell again, prepared to bring you all the day's big political news. Perhaps you've heard that there's a rather important health care case being argued before the Supreme Court today? We'll be focusing on that, with reports from the field as developments occur. Today's hearing on the individual mandate is scheduled to begin at 10am.10.00am: Good morning. This is Jim Newell again, prepared to bring you all the day's big political news. Perhaps you've heard that there's a rather important health care case being argued before the Supreme Court today? We'll be focusing on that, with reports from the field as developments occur. Today's hearing on the individual mandate is scheduled to begin at 10am.
Here's Ryan Devereaux's summary, taking in what we're expecting from the court today, plus a roundup of news from the trail.Here's Ryan Devereaux's summary, taking in what we're expecting from the court today, plus a roundup of news from the trail.
Arguments in the Supreme Court case on healthcare reform turn to the red meat of the case today. Lawyers for the states challenging the Affordable Care Act will make the case that the individual mandate, which would force most people resident in the United States to sign up for health insurance, is unconstitutional. Tea Party Express activists will hold a press conference outside the court today, at which former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is expected to speak.Arguments in the Supreme Court case on healthcare reform turn to the red meat of the case today. Lawyers for the states challenging the Affordable Care Act will make the case that the individual mandate, which would force most people resident in the United States to sign up for health insurance, is unconstitutional. Tea Party Express activists will hold a press conference outside the court today, at which former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is expected to speak.
It appears Americans are beginning to tire of the longest war in US history. According to new poll from CBS News and the New York Times, a mere 23% of Americans believe the US is doing the right thing by fighting in Afghanistan, the lowest figure the poll has ever recorded. Sixty-nine percent of respondents believe the US should not be involved in Afghanistan, the highest total ever recorded by the poll. The issue is likely to play prominently in the general election campaign.It appears Americans are beginning to tire of the longest war in US history. According to new poll from CBS News and the New York Times, a mere 23% of Americans believe the US is doing the right thing by fighting in Afghanistan, the lowest figure the poll has ever recorded. Sixty-nine percent of respondents believe the US should not be involved in Afghanistan, the highest total ever recorded by the poll. The issue is likely to play prominently in the general election campaign.
In campaign news, the next primaries to vote are Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington DC, on Tuesday. When it comes to Wisconsin's airwaves, Romney has a 4 to 1 advantage over Rick Santorum. Politico reports the Romney campaign and his super PAC, Restore Our Future, are spending a combined $1,917,764 over the next seven days. As the Wisconsin primary enters its final week, Santorum's campaign is not on the air at all, leaving it up to his super PAC, the Red White and Blue Fund, to champion the former senator's message.In campaign news, the next primaries to vote are Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington DC, on Tuesday. When it comes to Wisconsin's airwaves, Romney has a 4 to 1 advantage over Rick Santorum. Politico reports the Romney campaign and his super PAC, Restore Our Future, are spending a combined $1,917,764 over the next seven days. As the Wisconsin primary enters its final week, Santorum's campaign is not on the air at all, leaving it up to his super PAC, the Red White and Blue Fund, to champion the former senator's message.
Newt Gingrich is now charging people to be photographed with him. On Monday Gingrich's campaign began asking for $50 from supporters who want picture with the former house speaker. The fee is the latest in a series of signs that Gingrich's campaign is seriously strapped for cash. Despite this fact, Gingrich has vowed to carry on until the Republican convention in August.Newt Gingrich is now charging people to be photographed with him. On Monday Gingrich's campaign began asking for $50 from supporters who want picture with the former house speaker. The fee is the latest in a series of signs that Gingrich's campaign is seriously strapped for cash. Despite this fact, Gingrich has vowed to carry on until the Republican convention in August.
Mitt Romney's second cousin, Park Romney, has publicly denounced the Mormon religion as a "fraud". Formerly a Mormon high priest, Park told the BBC: "There's compelling evidence that the Mormon Church leaders knowingly and wilfully misrepresent the historical truth of their origins and of the church for the purpose of deceiving their members into a state of mind that renders them exploitable."Mitt Romney's second cousin, Park Romney, has publicly denounced the Mormon religion as a "fraud". Formerly a Mormon high priest, Park told the BBC: "There's compelling evidence that the Mormon Church leaders knowingly and wilfully misrepresent the historical truth of their origins and of the church for the purpose of deceiving their members into a state of mind that renders them exploitable."