#HCR - why those conservatives blathering on about unconstitutionality are wrong

[thestickywicket]

Never got to this when I wrote my first, ranty post, but here are my thoughts on the various arguments that healthcare reform (as signed into law today, OMG!) is unconstitutional.

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[thestickywicket]

Nothing the GOP does that is illogical can surprise me anymore. Or so I keep telling myself. Except that then it always does, somehow. Basically, the tenet of their philosophy has always appeared to be "If I wanna do it, it's fine and you better shut up about it! But if you wanna do it, it's ILLEGAL/UNCONSTITUTIONAL/IMMORAL/UNAMURRICAN!!!"

Yes, this penchant is particularly frustrating. They're conflating constitutionality with their political ideology about what government should do & be. I think this is done both purposefully (by smarter, more cynical pols) and out of ignorance (by the Michelle Bachmanns of the world) -- not sure which one is more frustrating.

What the government should do & be -- that is an important discussion. But the GOP just can't simply get out there and say, "I don't believe the government should try to be our parent and make sure we have bandaids on our booboos"; instead, they say, "This healthcare plan is UNCONSTITUTIONAL!" Which is just flat wrong.

Of course, there's also the fact that people's ideological stances on the role of government are much more likely to be immutable. I'm never going to think that the government should let us sink or swim, and die on the streets if we get sick. This is independent of what the Constitution says. And I think we're mostly arguing ideology and just pretending that we're arguing over what the Beloved Founders Said in the Constitution.

Just frustrating all over.