Outside the Supreme Court
March 26, 2012--On the first day of oral arguments on the Affordable Care Act at the U.S. Supreme Court, supporters of the law dominated the scene outside.  (Opponents rallied on Saturday and plan another rally on Tuesday).  There were a number of opponents of Obamacare making the case against the law, most notably members of the Tea Party Patriots, including Mary Beth Martin.  Others included Michael Tanner, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, who said of the debate that, "It's more about government and the power of government than it is about health care."  Tanner said the law raises the question, "Is there anything the government can't make you do?"
Michael Tanner, senior fellow at the Cato Institute (at right) with Meaghan Leister manager of broadcast outreach, and Jamie Morris, media relations coordinator.
Curt Levey, executive director of the Committee for Justice, brought four boxes of petitions.  He said his group had gathered 100,000 petitions, most of which it delivered to the Supreme Court's off-site location.  The Committee for Justice is a group that seeks to promote "the rule of law and a constitutionalist judiciary;" it was formed in 2002 to counter obstruction of Bush judicial appointees.
About ten minutes before noon a group of the state attorneys general opposing the Act, led by Pam Bondi of Florida and Mike DeWine of Ohio, emerged from the Supreme Court.  Twenty six states are challenging the law (+).  A major focus today was the question of jurisdiction.  There was a fair bit of back and forth over the whether the Act imposes a tax or a penalty.  Several of the AGs pointed to an exchange between Justice Alito and Soliciter General Verrilli, in which Alito said, "Today you are arguing that the penalty is not a tax.  Tomorrow you are going to be back and you will be arguing that the penalty is a tax." (+)
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