Obama's Supreme Victory

The Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision today, upholding the core of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)-- the individual mandate provision -- by a 5 to 4 vote, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the progressive Justices. The Court majority made it clear that while the individual mandate could not be enforced on the basis of the commerce clause in the Constitution, it could be enforced on the Government's taxing authority, i.e., those that decline to purchase health insurance may pay a penalty tax. Interestingly, presumed swing voter Justice Anthony Kennedy lined up with the right wingers on the Court (didn't he line up with them on Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, etc., too? So why is he considered a "swing vote"?).

While this is a huge setback for the teabaggers and their corporate string-pullers (Americans for [Koch Bros.'] Prosperity, Club for [One Percenter] Growth, etc.), expect more outrageous disinformation during the 2012 campaign from the Rethugs, who will rally their far right base with ever increasing falsehoods (remember "socialism," "death panels," etc. from 2010?). This means that the White House and Dems need to recover from their non-existent promotion of the ACA, when they let the Rethugs define and distort the provisions of the law. It's hard to recall an equivalent case of utter incompetence as the White House's and Dems' failure to explain, defend, and promote the ACA two years ago. They now have a second chance; will they blow it again?

(We should note that CNN, the "most trusted name in news," rushed out and declared the Court had struck down the individual mandate, and minutes later had to reverse themselves -- as did the Fux nuts. As Las Vegas Review-Journal writer Jon Ralston tweeted, "CNN's motto: 'Better to be first than right'")

UPDATE: Leave it to the wags at Wonkette to give us the classic "Dewey Defeats Truman" blunder photoshopped (by Gary He) to mock CNN's huge goof:
(click to enlarge)

And the original version: