Remember this contentious interview President Obama did with George Stephanoplous back in May 2009? The President insisted that the individual mandate called for under ObamaCare was not a tax and Stephanopolous pulled out the dictionary definition of a tax.
Turns out Obama had his fingers crossed, because his administration has now gone to court to defend ObamaCare and the key to their defense is that the individual mandate is a tax.
The New York Times has the details of the deception:
Administration officials say the tax argument is a linchpin of their legal case in defense of the health care overhaul and its individual mandate, now being challenged in court by more than 20 states and several private organizations.
Under the legislation signed by President Obama in March, most Americans will have to maintain “minimum essential coverage” starting in 2014. Many people will be eligible for federal subsidies to help them pay premiums.
In a brief defending the law, the Justice Department says the requirement for people to carry insurance or pay the penalty is “a valid exercise” of Congress’s power to impose taxes.
Congress can use its taxing power “even for purposes that would exceed its powers under other provisions” of the Constitution, the department said. For more than a century, it added, the Supreme Court has held that Congress can tax activities that it could not reach by using its power to regulate commerce.
Tax everyone! For everything! Tax ‘til the cows come home. Then tax the cows! And their milk! And the cartons it goes in! And then tax the trash you throw the cartons in! And then tax the tax!
Source: New York Times
View Comments (21)
Can't we IMPEACH this ASSHOLE yet?
Unhappily, not yet. See reply #13 above.
However, by not closing the southern border, and actively attempting to prevent Arizona from doing so, he is possibly in violation of Constitution article VI, section 4 = not defending a State from invasion and/or domestic violence.
Article II, section 4 also speaks of impeachment for bribery - remember the Sestack deal?
And how about that $23 million he sent to Kenya to influence their Constitutional plebescite? Illegal under US Federal law.
I suspect that a sharp Constitutional lawyer could find sufficient grounds for impeachment among all the questionable actions the Half Cracker™POTUS has done. All we need now is a Congress with a 3/4 majority voting block to kick him out and send him back to Kenya.
Well, thanks to Bubba Clinton, the precedent of POTUS's publicly lying to this nation, and the world without it being grounds for impeachment has been set. Just another thing we have Dunbocrats to thank for.
I just read Amos today (Minor jewish prophet), he was shown that the walls of the nation of Israel were not balanced they will crack under the pressure of the corruption of the political/religious leaders. Even though at the time Amos was having his visions, Israel was a very powerful and prosperous nation, the destruction was inevitable. One of the many reasons was the (leaders') government's desire to tax EVERYTHING to support itself and the people who were part of it. That left a great deal of brokeness among people, poverty increased and so did crimes, etc. Oppression and corruption lead to weakened infrastructures that the enemies didnt have to push hard to overcome. All I am saying is that we have to be careful who we put up there as leaders. Once the leaders look after THE ENTITY of the government and themselves first and last, we will be at the mercy of any country that wants to take over. I have said it once and I will say it again.... Obama doesn't care about any of us, none of these people do. They want to suck us dry and then abandon us when we need leadership the most. It will be what it will be, so i guess in the end it is a matter of being prepared.
I just read the following article that I believe you will enjoy; extremely astute: http://spectator.org/archives/2010/07/16/americas-ruling-class-and-the/print
I hear you , friend Kimmy, and agree.
Amen Sister, Amen.
'Progressives' want government to own Americans, not just their paycheques. And their plan is working: would the question "can the government tell you what foods to eat?" have ever even been formulated in the minds of the Founding Fathers? Or by anyone else up until the 60's? If yes then they were a tiny minority of fascists, now this kind of thought is mainstream. Incredible.
Fire Holder and impeach Obama. Through thid defense brief they have effectively admitted this is a bald-faced power grab against the sovereignty of the individual liberties of the people of the USA.
Unhappily, under the Constitution only the Congress can impeach the POTUS. With the current makeup of Congress it just ain't gonna happen.
Remedy -- VOTE IN NOVEMBER, the new Republican super-majority in Congress can impeach in January 2011. If you live in a bad area, bring your personal-size can of pepper-spray just in case there are some "undesireables" hanging around the door.
(Personal wish--I'djust love to read an article on Nov 3 about an 80 year-old granny taking down 2 Black Panthers that tried to intimidate her. Wouldn't that be funny?)
Tsk, Tsk, Columbia Ivy leaguers don't lie- that is conservative hate speech- they just have to simplify everything because the rest of us dumbos don't know whats good for us. You know, like when you tell your dog he is going to Pluto's doggie camp at disney world, but he is reallying going to get his tubes tied before the start of musk season.
Will Stephanopolous do a feature on this FACT on his morning show? Will he actually tell the unwashed masses that The Jump Shooter in Chief LIED to his face.....?
hmmmmm
Maybe Stephanopolous should interview Joe Wilson!
There are far more interesting linchpins to use within the "healthcare" debacle to stop it in its tracks.
Over the weekend, we found out(as someone is finally reading the whole thing) that obama and company are going to require all bullion dealers to report to IRS concerning any bullion purchase of $600 or more, by any American. This is all part of the "take over" of american lives that this whole thing is a perpetration of. These states who are suing can do a lot better than just using the commerce clause!
Sooo the individual mandate wasn't a tax when you wanted the American people to support it, but it's now a tax to bolster ObamaCare's defense. Hmm, makes sense to me!
Could this video interview be subpeoned? Case closed!! :)
Joe Wilson, couldn't help himself and was the first to publicly acknowledge what is so obviously self evident. Out POTUS is clearly, and as we have known for some time, a liar. In fact, I nominate him for LIAR IN CHIEF. Any seconds?
I dunno...I think to show solidarity with the New Black Panthers we should call a spade a spade (as it were), tell it like it is, and let the POTUS be known henceforth as "Half-Cracker In Chief". or "Half-Cracker Obama". Hey, his momma was white so.... shouldn't it be ok to hate his 'cracker' half?
Hey Libs, where are the cries of racist? You gonna attack without knowing what color I am? Shhheeiitt, I ain't afraid of no flames. :-p
Bah he isn't a half cracker! He's a black man of the streets, born and raised in the harsh Hawaiian inner city. Some days he even had to crack his own coconut to get to the juice in the middle! He understands what it is like to be black and poor, to have to go from meal to meal without eating...
Its simply a matter everything that comes out of our liar, idiot in chief's mouth....all lies, all the time. So what else is new?
It seems that no one has a memory anymore....this is the domain of the liberals, lies and deceit....it is their modus operandi.....history is very clear....