Obamacare's Day in Court: Good for Single Payer?

[xchrom]

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/03/supreme-court-arguments-bad-obama-good-single-payer

This week, the oral arguments conducted before the Supreme Court concerning the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul seemed to spell bad news for supporters of Obamacare. But there was a moment that could hearten those progressives yearning for a single-payer type of national health care system.

Conservatives have spent the last few years falsely characterizing the Affordable Care Act, which preserves the private insurance system, as a "government takeover of health care." Yet during oral arguments, a lead lawyer opposing Obamacare as unconstitutional suggested an actual government takeover of health care might be constitutional.

In an exchange between Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Michael Carvin—a lawyer representing the National Federation of Independent Businesses, which opposes Obamacare—Sotomayor got Carvin to concede that a single-payer system would be constitutional:

JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR: So the—I—I want to understand the choices you're saying Congress has. Congress can tax everybody and set up a public health care system.

MR. CARVIN: Yes.

JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR: That would be okay?

MR. CARVIN: Yes. Tax power is–

JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR: Okay.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had previously attempted to trap former Solicitor General Paul Clement into saying the same thing. "It seems to me you're saying the only way that could be done is if the government does it itself; it can't involve the private market, it can't involve the private insurers," Ginsburg said. "There has to be government takeover. We can't have the insurance industry in it. Is that your position?"

[kudzu22]

1. Single payer would most likely sail through the courts

but unfortunately the biggest Dem majority in my lifetime didn't have the guts to pass it. I doubt it will ever happen.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. Single-payer? Insurance companies will block it

Drop some money on some members of congress, and single-payer is dead. It has no chance.

Too bad.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. Of course single payer is constitutional, it just can't get through Congress

[HopelesslyLiberal]

4. Dare to dream...

My best hope is that the SCOTUS blocks Obamacare, the right cheers for 10 minutes or so and then the left galvanizes and creates single payer leaving the right with their jaw on the floor.

Of course, it won't be that painless or quick but I can dream.

[kenny blankenship]

5. When you eliminate the unConstitutional, what remains

however unlikely it may at first seem, becomes the inevitable.

[newspeak]

6. I'm 100% for single payer

it's good for the people and good for business. However, the house just passed ryan's screw the people and privatize the shite out of everything bill. It seems they are aggressively going for giving our money away to their corporate, WS friends; I don't see single payer having a chance with these greedy shysters.