Posted on 06/30/2012 12:11:29 AM PDT by John Semmens
Press Secretary Jay Carney sought to get out ahead of the GOP's campaign rhetoric alleging that Obamacare is a huge tax imposed on the middle class.
“There's no way this is a tax,” Carney insisted. “The President doesn't call it a tax. The legislation doesn't say it's a tax. Calling it a tax is idiotic. The President has made it quite clear that the $2,000 a person has to pay for refusing to buy health insurance is a punishment for disobedience, not a tax.”
The fact that the Supreme Court decision upholding Obamacare was founded on Chief Justice John Roberts' finding that the so-called penalty is a tax is irrelevant, according to Carney. “Roberts' convoluted logic isn't binding on anything,” Carney said. “All that matters is that the Court voted to sustain the law. Whatever reasons he or any other Justice might give are irrelevant.”
To further bolster his case against Obamacare being a tax, Carney cited the waivers granted by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Secretary Sebelius has no authority to waive taxes,” Carney pointed out. “She does, however, have the authority to excuse persons from complying with the mandate. Those who think the mandate is oppressive ought to be trying to get on her good side. I don't think that castigating the Affordable Care Act for political advantage is a course likely to achieve that.”
Thus far, Sebelius has issued over 1,000 waivers—most of them to organizations and businesses supporting the Administration's political agenda.
In related news, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R) suggested that, based on the Court's decision, the government might mandate the consumption of tofu or the purchase of a Chevy Volt under threat of being assessed a penalty for noncompliance. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) dismissed such fears as “misplaced. It is the government's job to promote the general welfare. If eating healthier food and driving non-polluting vehicles is deemed the appropriate way of promoting that welfare who is Mr. Jindal to say that the government shouldn't penalize those who won't cooperate?”
if you missed any of this week's other semi-news posts you can find them at...
http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Opinion/114163-2012-06-29-semi-news-a-satire-of-recent-news-july-1-2012.htm
I see an image of a dingbat on a stick like they did to Bush.
We’re not worthy.
We’re not worthy.
Truth is, it really matters very little what you call it, because the effects will be the same! What's the over/under on years to the Great American Bankruptcy if this tripe goes through?
“There’s no way this is a tax,” Carney insisted. “The President doesn’t call it a tax. The legislation doesn’t say it’s a tax. Calling it a tax is idiotic.
Carney finally said something true. Only an idiot would call this a tax. Roberts is that idiot. May he soon leave the court.
Problem is Alito, Kennedy, and Scalia are on their side too. They wrote in the dissent that it’s not a tax.
That’s because they are correct. The only constitutional ruling would have been to call it a mandate and declare it unconstitutional. Calling it a tax is not to our long term advantage and it’s not honest.
If it is not a tax, then is it now unconstitutional?
The extent to which a work of satire goes undetected is at once a tribute to the satirist, and a warning about his subject.
Yesterday Obama called Justice Roberts a Liar,. Now Carney calls him an idiot.
It was Roberts who passd their bill through the Supreme Court by calling it a tax and now they attack him for doing it.
We have 3 branch’s of Government, and we cannot trust any of the three.
Yours is the correct answer.
WTF Roberts did will always be a mystery.
Why he did it will be a mystery.
The whole thing should have been tossed in the trash.
Perhaps he knows something we don’t or perhaps he is crazy as a loon.
John Roberts sure managed to piss everybody off with his idiotic ruling.
Indeed they are.
Alinsky Rule No 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” It is almost impossible to counterattack ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, who then react to your advantage.
Ha! The Supremes called it a tax. The Supremes said that is the only way it is legal. The dems are going to rewrite the Supremes’ ruling, then? Hahha, can’t wait to watch this unravel.
Mr. Semmens - you have done your job when 30 out of the 32 people that have responded don’t realize it is satire.
Well done!!!
Punishment for disobedience,the King has ruled obey or else.
With this group in DC satire practically writes itself. If most of the readers believe the article at first glance then it is good satire, this is good satire
Did anyone ask why the Obama lawyer argued it was a tax in front of the Supreme Court?
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