Roberts' Ruling

I'm pleasantly surprised the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act, 5-4, and kudos to Chief Justice Roberts for the way he parsed the special interests and ultimately came down on the side of reform. I didn't expect that. His decision was as narrow as it could possibly be. As some commentators said, he really threaded the needle, and word is that his decision to uphold had much to do with the extremism of the dissenters, his sense of historic moment, and the need to preserve the credibility of the nation's highest court as a non-partisan body in a toxic political environment. Everyone seems so focused on the mandate for individuals to carry insurance being identified as a tax. It's true Roberts' ruling did narrow the Commerce Clause in saying the individual mandate was not valid under that statute, that it was only valid if considered a tax, giving conservatives a place to hang their hats. But all of this is just semantics, by my lights. We're still going to get a health care plan that no longer discriminates against children with pre-existing conditions; that won't allow insurance companies to drop you if you get sick or limit the amount they'll pay for catastrophic care. And wellness care will no longer cost a fortune. I'm not saying the plan is perfect, but it's a start. As for the political fight ahead, well...