September 18, 2011

ObamaCare's Individual Mandate: A New Twist on Old Despotism

By Monte Kuligowski
The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals recently dismissed the Commonwealth of Virginia's lawsuit which challenges the constitutionality of ObamaCare's individual insurance mandate.  The court dismissed the case, asserting that Virginia does not have standing to bring suit, and did not address the substance of the claim.  The mandate challenge will eventually be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court. As I was reading an article on the ruling, a statement by Virginia's attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli, stood out: Obviously, we are disappointed in the ruling. Our disappointment not only stems from the fact that the court ruled against us, but also that the court did not even reach the merits on the key question of Virginia's lawsuit -- whether Congress has a power never before recognized in American history: the power to force one citizen to purchase a good or service from another citizen. What caught my attention was Cuccinelli's choice of language when describing the...(Read Full Article)