It could be one of the smartest political moves the Obama administration has made — or a historic mistake that could kill not just the health care reform law but the president’s chances for reelection, too.◼ And by going to the Supreme Court now, the Obama administration addresses a painful practical reality: A second Obama term is no longer as safe a bet as it was a few months ago. - HotAir
By asking the Supreme Court to rule so quickly on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the administration is taking a huge risk that the justices will rule against the law right in the middle of the 2012 race — either striking down the whole law or just slicing out the requirement for nearly all Americans to buy health coverage.
It’s also taking a huge political risk: Supreme Court arguments, and possibly a ruling in summer 2012, could generate headlines and wall-to-wall cable news coverage that would just remind millions of voters about the least popular parts of the health care law. If all voters hear about is the individual mandate — the most hated piece of the law — they may not hear about the parts they do like....
The states and the NFIB want the high court to strike down the entire law, not just the coverage mandate. But even if it’s just the mandate that falls, the change could create havoc with the rest of the law. That’s because the unpopular mandate is closely tied to other key provisions of the law — not the entire law, but important pieces of it — in ways that much of the public is still learning.
◼ DOJ Press Release
