US News

Romney says Supreme Court ruling could mean Obama ‘wasted’ his presidency

SALEM, Va. — Mitt Romney telegraphed his likely reaction to the Supreme Court’s upcoming health care ruling Tuesday, telling voters in Virginia that if the court strikes down the law, President Barack Obama will have “wasted” the first three and a half years of his presidency.

“Now as you know, the Supreme Court is going to be dealing with whether or not Obamacare is constitutional,” Romney told voters outside a machinery company in Salem, Va.

“If Obamacare is not deemed constitutional, then the first three and a half years of this president’s term will have been wasted on something that does not help the American people.

“If it is deemed to stand then I’ll tell you something, we’re going to have to have a president, and I’m that one, that’s going to get rid of Obamacare. We’re going to stop it on day one.”

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of Obama’s 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Thursday, with both sides prepping their arguments on each side of the ledger.

The court could also strike down the law’s individual mandate while letting other parts of the law stand.

Most polls indicate a majority of Americans oppose the law.

“We’re gonna win in Virginia, we’re gonna win in November,” Romney told the crowd Tuesday.

A new WeAskAmerica poll released Tuesday showed Romney leading Obama 48 percent to 43 percent in Old Dominion, though most other recent polls have tended to show the president out in front by a small margin.

Virginia, with its 13 electoral votes, is seen as a pivotal state for Romney if he wants to have a chance of defeating Obama in November.