Category Archives: Law
President Lone Ranger
“So the only reason I’m doing it on my own is because you won’t do anything,” said the president about Congress.
President Lone Ranger is not happy about being sued by John Boehner. That’s because he wants to be impeached. The prospect of impeachment is a fundraising bonanza for Democrats.
As someone once said, the Republicans may be dumb but they’re not stupid. They impeached the first black president (Bill Clinton) and he remains wildly popular to this day. They’re not about to impeach the second one.
So they’re suing him.
Affordable Care Act Subsidies
We have to pass the bill so we can find out what’s in it. The bill passed, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals has read it, and found out what’s not in it. The Affordable Care Act says subsidies are available for plans purchased on state run exchanges. That was an inducement for states to set up their own exchanges. Still, 36 states chose not to build exchanges and left the job to the feds. People with plans from Federal exchanges aren’t eligible for subsidies, says the court.
Subsidies All Around
Another court – the Fourth Circuit -says the plain language in the bill wasn’t the intent of Congress. In other words Congress didn’t mean what it said. Not an unreasonable assumption.
For now the IRS will continue to allow subsidies for health care plans bought on federal exchanges.
Religious Freedom
Religious freedom has been taking a beating.
A National Review editorial last week made the point that during the Clinton administration Democrats in Congress felt the Supreme Court had too narrow a view of religious liberty. As a result the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed with bipartisan support and signed into law by President Clinton.
Along comes the Affordable Care Act (ACA), …which empowered the Obama administration to issue regulations that burdened a religious liberty..
This leaves Democrats in a political pickle. They passed a law to protect religious freedom, but they do not desire to protect religious freedom when doing so interrupts their risible war-on-women soap opera.
Senator Udall, in his rhetoric, has been particularly dishonest about this, characterizing the Hobby Lobby decision as mandating that women “have to ask their bosses for a permission slip to access common forms of birth control.” In fact, the decision does no such thing: Hobby Lobby has nothing to do with the right to do anything, but rather with the right to not do something.
Elsewhere on the religious freedom front, the Islamic State of Iraq has ordered Christians to either pay jizya (a religious tax), convert to Islam, or die.
The Border is Secure
Don’t worry. Be Happy. The Border is secure. Harry Reid says so. The White House isn’t so sure.
Dr. Krauthammer thinks the Senate Majority Leader is off his meds.
Chicago Mayhem
Why are all those kids showing up at the border? The New York Times says they’re escaping gang violence in big cities in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.
Chicago
Should some of them find their way to Chicago they can enjoy the blessings of liberty while feeling right at home. Over the Fourth of July weekend 17 people were murdered and 82 wounded by gunfire in Chicago.
Update:
Looks like some have found their way to Chicago.
