‘Obamacare’ Draws More Opposition Than ‘Romneycare’
Politico reports on new polling that shows the federal health law draws more negative public opinions than does the Massachusetts law signed by Mitt Romney when he was the state's governor. Also, the LA Times reports that a majority of registered voters believe the health law's individual mandate is unconstitutional.
Politico: The Romneycare – Obamacare Gap
New polling shows President Obama's signature health care law generates more opposition than a similar law signed by Mitt Romney as Massachusetts governor. According to Gallup, 32 percent of voters say they're much less likely to vote for President Obama because of his 2010 health care reform bill. By contrast, only 14 percent of voters say Mitt Romney's 2006 law makes them less likely to vote for him. On the other hand, 22 percent of voters say Obama's bill makes them more inclined to back him in November, versus just 6 percent for Romney (Tau, 2/28).
Los Angeles Times: Poll: Most Voters Believe Healthcare Mandate Is Unconstitutional
Nearly two years after President Obama signed his landmark healthcare package into law, three-quarters of registered voters believe the law's requirement that every American carry health insurance is unconstitutional, according to a new survey. A USA Today/Gallup poll taken earlier this month and released Monday found that a majority of voters -- those surveyed in battleground states and nationwide generally -- agreed in their dislike of the Affordable Care Act. Voters in battleground states are more likely to want it repealed, the poll showed (Geiger, 2/27).
In related news, the latest on the Supreme Court's upcoming health law deliberations -
CQ HealthBeat: States, NFIB Tell Supreme Court That Health Care Suit Must Go Forward
The 26 states and a business group that are challenging the health care law fought back Monday against arguments that a tax law dating from the 1800s could put their suit on hold until the health care overhaul goes into effect in 2014. Were the Supreme Court to decide to postpone consideration of the health care law, it likely would dilute the power of the measure as a campaign issue in 2012 and give the Obama administration more time to implement the overhaul. It’s not inconceivable that justices might choose such a path. The court has ordered that the first day of oral arguments in March be devoted to the tax law and a federal appeals court has already thrown out one suit on the basis of that law (Norman, 2/27).
The Hill: Bill To Put Cameras In Supreme Court Won't Pass Before Health Care Challenge
A bipartisan effort to allow cameras in the Supreme Court is not going to pass Congress before justices tackle what has been dubbed the "case of the century." The legislation, which has bounced around in both the House and Senate for a decade, gathered momentum last year when the high court agreed to hear challenges to President Obama's healthcare reform law. The idea of putting cameras in the Supreme Court is supported by politicians on the left and right, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) (Pecquet, 2/28).
