Obama: Not working on plan B for health care law

Updated 4 p.m. ET

(CBS News) -- President Obama on Tuesday reiterated his prediction from a day earlier that the Supreme Court would uphold the constitutionality of the landmark health care law and said his administration is not working on a backup plan in case the nation's highest court throws out the signature legislative achievement of his presidency.

"I have enormous confidence that in looking at this law, not only is it constitutional, but that the court is going to exercise its jurisprudence carefully because of the profound power that our Supreme Court has," Mr. Obama told editors at the annual gathering of the Associated Press.  (watch some of Mr. Obama's remarks above at left)

"As a consequence, we are not spending a whole bunch of time planning for contingencies. What I did emphasize yesterday is there is a human element to this that everybody has to remember," he said, emphasizing that he gets letters everyday from people whose lives are affected by the 2010 law.

While he repeatedly expressed his optimism that the court would rule in favor of the law, Mr. Obama appeared to be laying down a political argument for the health care law in case he loses in court.

"I think what's more important is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to recognize that in a country like ours, the wealthiest, most powerful country on earth, we shouldn't have a system in which millions of people are at risk of bankruptcy because they get sick. Or end up waiting until they do get sick and then go to the emergency room which involves all of us paying for it," he said.

Following Mr. Obama's remarks, Senate Minority Leader McConnell accused Mr. Obama of attempting to "intimidate" the court and said the remarks demonstrate "a fundamental lack of respect for our system of checks and balances."

"Only someone who would browbeat the Court during the State of the Union, and whose administration stifled speech during the health care debate, would try to intimidate the Court while it's deliberating one of the most consequential cases of our time," McConnell said in a written statement. "This president's attempt to intimidate the Supreme Court falls well beyond distasteful politics; it demonstrates a fundamental lack of respect for our system of checks and balances."

Appeals court fires back at Obama's comments on health care case
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[wmdaniel]

The Supreme Aught is nothing but a political organization and Democrats better realize that. If they want to have any power left they better get a president who will appoint justices with his political philosophy.

[92F150]

SCOTUS, this would fix a system in which regular folks are at risk of bankruptcy because they get sick or injured.

[itsallgoodnow7]

I am so disappointed with Obama. Rather than say something like, "Should the SC find that the law does not pass constitutional muster, we will work to pass a law that meets our objective of providing every man, woman and child with healthcare; while also ensuring it will pass constitutional muster."

I would be happy to vote for a man who took that position. But, how can anyone vote for a man that is so arrogant and dismissive of our separation of powers.

NOBAMA in 2012

[jimbobkalina]

you would not vote for Obama even if he did say that

[abbe91]

There was "a law that meets our objective of providing every man, woman and child with healthcare; while also ensuring it will pass constitutional muster." It's been blocked by the republicans ... Single payer. No need for the individual mandate ...

[WilliamBayer]

We are already seeing Obama's Plan B: Blame the Court and campaign on the need to reelect Obama and other democrats to get a better Supreme Court. Plan A --- not to use the government's tax power to fix healthcare problems, but to use healthcare problems to grab unnecessary power to regulate interstate commerce --- came with a built-in Plan B --- to use healthcare problems and a ruling that this unconstitutional law is, in fact, unconstitutional, as a campaign issue --- a claim that it'a all the more essential to re-elect Obama.

[STRAWBIRD]

The problem seems to be that all of his ideas are based upon a negative view of success and a glorification of failure. If the populace fails they will need his plans, they cannot take care of themselves, so their failure is "good". We need a positive outlook, which glorifies success, for a change. We do not need the govt. to become our "parent".

[slatep]

I just read an email that sent me to the following address.

http://www.morningstartv.com/oak-initiative/marxism-america

Go to this site and see what Obama really plans to do if he is re-elected.

It will scare the bejesus out of you.

Go quickly, before it is pulled.!

[SWOH24]

Krazy much?

[Atheist_al_Qaeda]

His plan B will be to whine and blame the SCOTUS, Congress, The GOP, the American pweople and of course Bush.
He'll get on the TV rant for a half hour with one of his cry baby teleprompted speechs.

[slatep]

YOU GOT THAT RIGHT.!!

I couldn't have said it better myself.

If Obama is re-elected...MARXISM HERE WE COME.!

[1BobbyR]

The reason is is not working on Plan B, is that he knows he is not going to be re-elected and he and Michelle want to spend as much time as possible vacationing at the taxpayers expense.

[abbe91]

Well Bush has been re-elected ... Go figure ...
At least appointed, not elected ...

[nonpolitico]

Pres Obama has no Plan B because he is determined to ensure USA turns into a Socialist State.
He has tipped his hand. PLease look what he has done!!!
Apart from the Obamacare bill, he has begun an attack on the Right to Bear Arms,(note every guncrime incident harps on about "protecting children" from gun crime).
He has removed with his terrorist Bill, all the rights the Founding Fathers wrote into law to protect citizens from the State!
Bradley Manning EMBARRASSED Washington. He is now in solitary in a Military Prison. No evidence, no defence rights.
My relatives fought against Germany to defeat a nation which had no due process and which had unauthorised detention on a massive scale!
We still have Gitmo, and it looks like, if the Manning case is anything to go off, that US citizens will soon be disapearing from their homes to some unaccountable prison network.
Dammit!!! This is SERIOUS!!!
We have in the White House a person with NO political experience, but plenty of Dogma.
Unfortunately it is NOT dogma for a free and independent nation.
We gotta PRAY he does not get his second term!!

[slatep]

DITTO.!!! ABSOLUTELY.!! POSITIVELY.!! DAMN STRAIGHT.!!

[judie7112]

Why no contingency plan, is someone in the pocket??

[slatep]

How could you possibly doubt that someone is in the pocket.?

Absolutely every member of Congress and Obama are in the pockets of the weathy, big business, Wall Street and the banks that were to big to fail.

Elect or re-elect ANYBODY currently in office and you can kiss what little freedom we have left GOODBYE.!!