Just when everything seemed to go downhill, this event has reversed the trend and there is renewed hope that the US will prosper. Yes, prosper, because prosperity needs to be matched by social gains. And Obama's healthcare reform was needed to bring America in line with modern social norms.
Chief Justice Roberts lived up to the task to put his country ahead of his politics. Hopefully his bold position will allow a more rational Congress to keep improving this law, instead of throwing away all the gains already achieved and leave us in a limbo.
Mitt Romney was quick to step into damage control mode stating that HE was going to do what the Supreme Court was not able to do by completely repealing the law. What he didn't say is that rational Americans will think twice before allowing him to destroy what the Supreme Court realized that should not be destroyed. And rational Americans will probably help even more by reelecting a Congress that will be less prone to block progress for the sake of their politics.
From the New York Times:
Quote
Supreme Court Lets Health Law Largely Stand
By JOHN H. CUSHMAN Jr.
Published: June 28, 2012
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday left standing the basic provisions of the health care overhaul, ruling that the government may use its taxation powers to push people to buy health insurance.
The narrowly delineated decision was a victory for President Obama and Congressional Democrats, with a 5-to-4 majority, including the conservative chief justice, John G. Roberts Jr., affirming the central legislative pillar of Mr. Obama’s presidency. The ruling upheld the so-called individual mandate, requiring that nearly all Americans obtain health insurance, by saying it fell under Congress’s power to tax.
Chief Justice Roberts, the author of the majority opinion, surprised observers by joining the court’s four more liberal members in the key finding and becoming the swing vote. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, frequently the swing vote, joined three more conservative members in a dissent and read a statement in court that the minority viewed the law as “invalid in its entirety.”
The court’s ruling is a crucial milestone for the law, allowing almost all of its far-reaching changes to roll forward. Several of its notable provisions have already taken hold in the past two years, and more are imminent. Ultimately, it is intended to end the United States’ status as the only rich country with large numbers of uninsured people, by expanding both the private market and Medicaid.