I Believe in Miracles




(Where did you come from, baby? How did you know I needed you?)

When I left for a week in the north woods, unplugged, with no TV, radio, internet, etc., I knew that the Supreme Court would rule that week on the Affordable Care Act. Biggest health care story, possibly, of my career and I was unplugged.

But thanks to another camper who refused to leave his iPhone at home, along with Al Y., who passed on the word to me, I found out Thursday morning that the Supreme Court had upheld the ACA. I bent the rules a bit myself that morning by borrowing Al's Sony Walkman (!!!) and listening to some NPR coverage of this rather shocking turn of events.

Despite how I thought the SC should rule, despite what seemed like (at first) near-universal agreement among constitutional scholars, despite years of precedent and some of the sitting justices' own rulings, it seemed the court was poised to overturn the law. Most people expected them to strike down all or at least part of it.

Instead, the ACA was almost completely upheld--the ruling did throw a brushback pitch at the Commerce Clause and gave states an out for expanding Medicaid (if they are foolhardy enough to take it), but overall this was a big win for the ACA. And the fact that Chief Justice John Roberts was the deciding vote is something that nearly no-one predicted.

Since coming back home and plugging back in, I've engaged in some spirited debates on the ruling and what it means. The law's opponents talk about freedomz and taxehs and tirenny, but The Complainers, as I've dubbed them, have lost the battle, and possibly the war. Yes, Obama could lose in November, and the architect of Obamacare, Mitt Romney, could make a run at repealing or overturning all or part of the ACA.

But I'm enjoying this victory in the here and now. A law that could truly improve our nation and address one of our biggest economic and moral shortcomings has prevailed in the Supreme Court. Tens of millions more Americans will have the economic security and health care that they deserve. Lives will be saved. And yes, the bill will have to be paid. This is America. We can pay it, if we want to. And incidentally, it's nice have a president with the political will to tackle one of our biggest problems.

As for my new best friend, Johnny R., it will be fascinating if we ever get the real story of his apparent change of heart. One thing I am sure of, Roberts did not act because he was afraid of what the New York Times might say. I generally agree with those who say Roberts simply recognized ruling against the ACA would damage the court long-term, because it would come across as partisan and because history would not look kindly at the anti-ACA reasoning. But I have to say, the current Supreme Court has not really seemed too concerned with appearing partisan and activist. Possibly this was just a bridge too far for Mr. Roberts, and he mutinied. (get it?)

Anyhow, the struggle continues. There is much that could be improved about the ACA, and there are many battles ahead. And the flood of misinformation about it shows no signs of abating. But we've cleared a major hurdle.

Thanks John, for doing the right thing.