Opinion

Court’s Supreme Surprise: Roberts Goes Rogue

The Issue: Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts’ break with conservatives in the ObamaCare case.

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Chief Justice John Roberts should resign from the Supreme Court — not because he sided with the liberal justices, but because he violated his oath of office (“Roberts the Coward,” John Podhoretz, PostOpinion, July 3).

In one of the most important cases to come before the court, and one that affects every American, Roberts ruled to satisfy his personal agenda, that being the court’s reputation, not on the basis of what he thought was constitutional. In an attempt to not seem partisan, he instead diminished and demeaned the court’s stature.

Harry Cohen

Manhattan

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It looks like ObamaCare has finally succeeded in uniting the left and the right. Now both sides can blame George W. Bush for appointing Roberts to the Supreme Court.

Steve Gidumal

Orlando, Fla.

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Republicans like to say that the federal mandate to obtain health insurance will result in the largest tax hike in history. But the truth is that very few of us will be required to pay it.

It is specifically for those freeloaders who can afford to purchase health insurance but refuse to do so. They use emergency-room services as their health-care cushion, and it’s not fair to the rest of us. Being responsible should appeal to Republicans.

Mercedes Santana

Manhattan

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Not since Roe v. Wade have I seen anything as outrageous as Roberts’ decision. Not only did he uphold ObamaCare, but he also put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the middle class who voted for Obama.

We have a spin doctor who has diagnosed the illness as that of the voters, but he has not offered any medication to cure it.

Kate Paulino

Marlboro, NJ

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Roberts did the conservative movement a giant favor. Regardless of what the bill’s sponsors say, it’s now 100 percent clear that the only way it survives is to be labeled a tax. I’m sure the last thing Obama supporters want is to defend a tax on the middle class. It’s not the best way for Obama to ask for a second term.

H. Frydman

Staten Island

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Roberts apparently is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

The word “penalty” is when someone is found guilty and pays a fine. Taxing is a means of getting revenue.

Josph Caggiano

Staten Island

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Why didn’t ObamaCare take effect right away instead of kicking in after the 2012 election?

Why are so many exemptions given out? And why aren’t the president, Congress and Senate covered if it’s so great?

Why did Obama mislead us about the tax? If ObamaCare is golden, why are taxes built in to punish those who do not take health care? What effect will this have on small businesses hiring full-time workers if there will be higher costs involved?

If these questions don’t bother you and you like ObamaCare, you will vote for Obama. But, if these questions are troubling and you see that ObamaCare will worsen the economy, you have the opportunity to get rid of it on Nov. 6.

R. Gallup

Lake Hiawatha, NJ

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The Democrats have been to “talking points school,” so we’ll hear the phrase “penalty, not a tax” over and over.

They have to continue to sell ObamaCare as something other than a tax, because Congress can repeal ObamaCare when Republicans take over the Senate with just 51 votes. And that’s just what is going to happen.

Barbara Paolucci

Manhattan

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To all the crybabies kvetching about the Supreme Court’s decision, remember the advice Justice Antonin Scalia gave eight years after the court’s intervention in 2000: “Get over it.”

Give it a chance and you’re likely to find that the Supreme Court’s recent finding is less detrimental to the nation’s health than the 2000 decision, from which our country is still reeling. You may come to appreciate the many fine features of the Affordable Care Act, a truly necessary piece of legislation.

K. Koerper

Manhattan