Remember the ruling by a three-judge panel of the DC Circuit Court that some state’s Obamacare subsidies were unconstitutional? Well, it’s dead, Jim.
In July, two Republican judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit handed down a decision defunding much of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This effort to implement Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) top policy priority from the bench was withdrawn on Thursday by the DC Circuit, and the case will be reheard by the full court — a panel that will most likely include 13 judges. In practical terms, this means that July’s judgment cutting off subsidies to consumers who buy insurance plans in federally-operated health exchanges is no more. It has ceased to be. It is, in fact, an ex-judgment.
There appears to be a broad consensus that there’s little chance the anti-subsidy ruling will be heard from again. In other court news, an appeals court killed gay marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana, and another federal court restored early voting in Ohio.
Former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were found guilty today of a whole bunch of corruption. I don’t think they’ve been sentenced yet.
Big fun in Kansas — the Democrat Chad Taylor, who was campaigning to take Pat Roberts’s Senate seat, dropped out of the race. Oh noes! But this was a tactical decision. There’s an independent also running for the seat and raising more money, and this guy, Greg Orman, is expected to caucus with Democrats if he wins. Orman and Taylor were running on nearly identical platforms. The pair had been expected to spit the not stupid vote, and Roberts hadn’t even been campaigning. By several accounts the GOP is genuinely panicked it could lose a seat in the Senate.
This is good news. It is time to smile.
The McDonnells are scheduled to be sentenced in January.
Not so fast on KS, maha.
From Steve Benen:
‘Despite dropping out of the Kansas Senate race this week, Democrat Chad Taylor will remain on the ballot, Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach announced on Thursday. […]
Kobach told reporters that candidates must declare they are “incapable” of serving if elected in order to withdraw their name from the ballot. “The law is the law,” Kobach said, according to The Kansas City Star.’
Election experts are saying he pulled this trick out of the Republican’s favorite source for magic – Otto Hizass.
More cheating.
Typical.
The McDonnell case is really interesting. Last year, the ex-gov was offered a plea deal: plead guilty to one (federal) count of fraud and we won’t pursue your wife at all. Nope, sez the ex-gov; we go to trial. Maureen McDonnell uttered not one single word during the 5-week trial, while others testified that she was a “nutbag” and worse. Her husband cheerfully threw her under the bus and trashed their 38-year marriage in an attempt to save his own corrupt skin. Result: ex-gov guilty on 11 felony counts; Maureen guilty on 9. Appeals to come; more soap opera time in the Old Dominion.
It’s encouraging to see the democratic party actually employ some strategy in Kansas. It’s not a sure thing, but it makes the GOP have to defend what was an automatic win. The national strategy of pushing the minimum wage before the mid-term elections is defining the parties.
Well, maybe I should look into my soul…But when I read that both Bob and Mo were sobbing and that Bob was shaking violently when the verdict was read, I sensed a great pleasure within me.. I hope Bob didn’t get any tears on his Rolex, but if he did, I think they are waterproof to a depth of 10 meters.
The sentencing for the Honourable Governor and His Wife will be in January(pre-sentencing reports on corrupt politicians always takes more time and, somehow or other, more money). They may have to first build a safe, secure prison for them. Spandau-style, anyone?
Why does Leona Helmsley keep popping into my mind when I think about Maureen McDonnell? I know that there is some sort of connection somehow, could it be that they were both some sort of beauty queens in their day? Nah, maybe it’s something to do with a common trait in their personalities. Well, I’ll figure it out, I’m sure.