The political genius of John Roberts  —  After Chief Justice Charles Evan Hughes deftly beat back Franklin Delano Roosevelt's court-packing proposal, FDR said, with grudging admiration, that Hughes was the best politician in the country.  “That was hardly the way Hughes would have chosen to be remembered …

The Real Winners  —  So the Supreme Court — defying many expectations — upheld the Affordable Care Act, a k a Obamacare.  There will, no doubt, be many headlines declaring this a big victory for President Obama, which it is.  But the real winners are ordinary Americans — people like you.

Was the Dissent Originally a Majority Opinion?  —  The four-Justice dissent, at least on first quick perusal, reads like it was originally written as a majority opinion, [something Larry Solum also noticed] (for example, he refers to Justice Ginsburg's opinion as “The dissent") [update …

CNN News Staffers Revolt Over Blown Coverage  —  “Embarrassing.”  “F**king humiliating.”  “Shameful.”  A veteran producer jumps the gun, a young correspondent goes too far, and the network's crisis deepens.  —  News staffers at the cable network CNN, long the gold standard in television news …

How far the four dissenters were willing to go  —  In a 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.  But as the political, legal, and policy world scrutinizes the details of today's ruling, it's worth pausing to appreciate just how far the four dissenters …

Is The Supreme Court's Health-Care Ruling a Turning Point in Constitutional Law?  —  Although it upheld the individual mandate, the Court reaffirmed the traditional view that there must be a judicially-enforceable limit on the powers of Congress, writes Randy Barnett.

Did Nino Scalia Firmly Think He Had His “Constitutional Moment”, and His Majority?  —  Sure sounds like he did not search-and-replace his text to correct it when Roberts peeled off.  —  Successfully electing George W. Bush 5-4 was not enough for him.  He thought he had repealed the ACA 5-4 as well.

Evidence that the Votes Shifted After Conference (Initial Vote to Declare Mandate Unconstitutional)  —  After a preliminary read of the opinions in the Health Care Cases (National Federation of Independent Business v. Sibelius), there seems to be substantial evidence that the initial vote …

Why Romney Won't Repeal Obamacare  —  Mitt Romney, speaking just before noon today, declared that on his first day in office, “I will act to repeal Obamacare.”  I think he chose his words carefully.  As President, he may indeed “act” to repeal it on Day One, but I don't believe he will actually be able to overturn the law.

Repeal Is a Fantasy  —  Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks about the Supreme Court ruling on health care in Washington, Thursday, June 28, 2012.  (Charles Dharapak / AP Photo)  —  The Republican Plan B is to repeal Obamacare on Day 1 of a Romney presidency.  —  Good luck with that.

Americans Don't Often Name Healthcare as Top U.S. Problem  —  But they do rate healthcare as important when asked about it specifically  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Although the Affordable Care Act of 2010 has dominated the news recently, with coverage exploding Thursday as the Supreme Court ruled …