Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Strange Political Prediction—And Other Recent ACA-Litigation Events

by Beverly Mann Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Strange Political Prediction—And Other Recent ACA-Litigation Events Well, as you all probably know by now, there have been two major developments in the courts within the last two weeks on the litigation challenging the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the ACA, a.k.a., “Obamacare). On November […]

The Supreme Court and the health care law

In the New York Times today: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a challenge to the 2010 health care overhaul law, President Obama’s signature legislative achievement. The development set the stage for oral arguments by March and a decision in late June, in the midst of the 2012 presidential campaign… … Appeals from […]

The Plot Sickens – The Heart of the ACA Litigation Moves to the Supreme Court

by Beverly Mann The Plot Sickens – The Heart of the ACA Litigation Moves to the Supreme Court. Maybe. Last week’s big political news concerning the PPACA (a.k.a. “Obamacare”) litigation was the administration’s decision to forego the option of asking the full membership of the Atlanta-based Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the appellate for several […]

I Hate It When My Cynicism is the OPTIMISTIC Version

I wisecracked yesterday chez DeLong that, given the current political climate, I wouldn’t invest in a company without political connections using his money, let alone my own. What I didn’t realize at the time was that the Supreme Court already had decided earlier yesterday that investing in mutual funds should be a hazardous activity: Janus […]

It’s not about regulating markets, after all! It’s about regulating the individual!

by Beverly Mann Ah! It’s not about regulating markets, after all! It’s about regulating the individual! ATLANTA — In perhaps the weightiest of the dozens of challenges to the Obama health care law, a panel of appellate judges grappled Wednesday with the essential quandary of the case: if the federal government can require Americans to […]

The Difference Between Defending DOMA and Neo-Nazis and the ACA

by Beverly Mann The Difference Between Defending DOMA and Defending Neo-Nazis and the ACA A post via Blog of Legal Times on Wednesday titled “King & Spalding Offers New Details on Marriage Mess,” which summarizes a report that day in one of its sister ALM (American Law Media) publications, the Atlanta-based Daily Report Online by […]

Tax credits are not Government Spending?

The Tax Policy Center The Supreme Court Says Tax Expenditures aren’t Goverbment Spending points us to a notable decision by the Supreme Court that has been lost in the federal budget fracas. Ever since Stanley Surrey popularized the concept of tax expenditures nearly half a century back, economists have argued that many tax breaks are […]

We trust that AT&T will not take it personally

Part of an e-mail from Beverly Mann on additional expansion of corporate personhood concept at the Supreme Court: I agree that, as the article at Raw Story says, the decision is a striking contrast to the court’s ruling in Citizens United, which upended decades of campaign finance regulation, allowing corporations to spend unlimited amounts on […]

Clarence and Ginny Thomas, the Go-To Folks for Liberty

Lifted from an e-mail in reaction to two links here and here I sent to Beverly Mann concerning Judge Clarence Thomas. (e-mail slightly revised for clarity) by Beverly Mann Clarence and Ginny Thomas, the Go-To Folks for Liberty Hi Dan, I’m obviously very supportive of the political goals of both of the organizations whose web […]