What to expect from Obama, Romney after Supreme Court health care ruling

AP

(CBS News) No one -- aside from the high court's nine justices -- can presume to know how the Supreme Court will rule on the Affordable Care Act on Thursday. Nor can anyone predict exactly how President Obama or his Republican challenger Mitt Romney will respond. The two politicians, however, may have shown their cards a bit in recent days.

Mr. Obama has given a forceful defense of the law, taking a tone that suggests he won't flinch if the court strikes down all or parts of it.

"I believe it's the right thing to do. I believe health reform was the right thing to do," Mr. Obama said of the law at a Tuesday night fundraiser in Miami. "I believe it was right to make sure that over 3 million young people can stay on their parent's health insurance plan. I believe it was right to provide more discounts for seniors on their prescription drugs. I believe it was right to make sure that everybody in this country gets decent health care and is not bankrupt when they get sick. That's what I believe."

Complete Coverage: Health Care

(CBS News and CBSNews.com will have a special report when the ruling is issued, which is expected at around 10 a.m. EDT.)

At an Orlando conference of Hispanic leaders last week, Mr. Obama stressed his beliefs over and over, as if repeating himself would make his audience believers as well. "After a century of trying, we finally passed reform that will make health care affordable and available for every American," he said. "That was the right thing to do. That was the right thing to do. That was the right thing to do."

The president is unlikely to back down from his support for the entire package, even though polls show the controversial health care overhaul remains unpopular. Earlier this year, he said it would be "unprecedented" for the court to strike it down.

If the court strikes down parts of the bill, the most significant part likely to go would be the individual mandate -- the requirement for all Americans to purchase insurance. Many people -- including the president -- have described the mandate as the heart of the bill, so throwing it out would be a significant blow to the president. Still, the sweeping health care package includes plenty of other provisions of substance.

The administration in recent days has been methodically reminding the public of those provisions and their benefits -- through blog posts, live events with leaders like Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and releasing new data. "President Obama signed the health care law - the Affordable Care Act - into law on March 23, 2010 and it's already making a positive difference in the lives of millions of Americans," Jeanne Lambrew, deputy assistant to the president for health policy, wrote on the White House blog Wednesday.

Lambrew laid out some of the ways the law has already benefitted some, such as enabling 3.1 million young adults to get health insurance through their parents' plans and helping 5.3 million people with Medicare cover the cost of the "prescription drug donut hole."

Even if the court throws out the entire law, the administration could boast of making a positive difference: Some major insurers recently announced that regardless of the court's decision, they will continue to offer some consumer protections and services that the law mandated.

If the court throws out the whole law, Mitt Romney would predictably have an entirely different take. The Republican presidential candidate previewed his response at two campaign events this week.

"If the court strikes it down, they will be doing some of my work for me," Romney said in Virginia on Wednesday. "I will still need to replace it."

On Tuesday, Romney said that Mr. Obama will have "wasted" his first three years in office if the court strikes down the law. "As you know, the Supreme Court is going to be dealing with whether or not Obamacare is constitutional. If it is not - if Obamacare is not deemed constitutional -- then the first three and a half years of this president's term would have been wasted on something that has not helped the American people," he said.

And if the court upholds it, Romney said Wednesday, that doesn't change the fact that the law was bad policy. On top of that, the GOP candidate charged that the law wasn't just bad policy but a "moral failure," given the focus it stole from the economy. "His policies were not focused on creating jobs," Romney said of the president. "They were focused on implementing his liberal agenda."

Romney on Tuesday repeated his oft-made pledge "get rid of" the law on the first day of his presidency if it is upheld by the Court. He has said he'll give every state waivers from the law.

The GOP candidate will have backup from his counterparts in Congress, who are prepared to keep their messaging consistent.

"We've said all year that 2012 will be a referendum on President Obama's policies, which have hurt the economy and made things worse," House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday in a closed-door meeting with House Republicans, a source in the meeting told CBS News. "The president's health care law is Exhibit 'A.' Americans know it's driving up health costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire. Regardless of how the Court rules, the law is a huge issue for the American people, and it has to be repealed, completely."

[Rashiki]

How about instead of making it your dream to provide every American with affordable healthcare to combat all the crap food we're given...how about you focus on providing every American with affordable, healthy, non-genetically modified food...preferably organic food.

[myderbydog]

now that obama got his health care passed I would like him to tell me how I am to pay for this we make less then 4,000.00 amonth and after we pay are house payment car payment pay our utily bills and buy food we our lucky if we have50.00 letf and my husband has ra and the cheapest ins we can find is 1500.00 per month with a 2000.00 ded. we cant get help because we make to much money so they say. so do I have to give up feeding my family obama is a big joke I cant wait till he is voted out

[hillzhavays]

I wonder how many people feel the way you do.

[fiddlestickawshucks]

Since Obama (using Executive Privilege to get his way) and the approval of an unconstitutional "mandate" by SCOTUS and striking down the Stolen Valor law, we don't have to look very far to see where the US is headed.

Who knew what a bunch of traitors we have in the SCOTUS, Obama and Congress.??????

[hillzhavays]

Based on the implications for businesses under the employer mandate to provide health insurance, millions of Americans can look forward to a prolonged hiring freeze (probably until 2014 and beyond as they wait and see what happens with the exchanges), virtually guaranteeing a higher unemployment rate in November. Niiiiice. Thanks Obama. This is working out better than I thought.

[VotePovertyVoteObama]

You Liberals always make fun of FOX news but do you realize that they hold the top five spots in news catagories. The Liberal biased state run networks are losing viewers on a daily basis....do you know why? People are tired of them and their Liberal biased reporting. Why do you think there are no Liberal talk shows on radio that are any good. Do you remember the Liberal radio talk show that was called "Air America"? It went bankrupt right after going on air. If people want to hear Liberal BS, they'll visit a inmate in prison or a Welfare recipient.

[Rafterman11]

And garbage Realty Shows are always in the top of the viewer ratings too. So? That doesn't imply intelligence or good taste.

Liberals are just not good at propaganda, like conservatives are. We don't need talk radio to tell us our opinions, like you 'cons do.

[VotePovertyVoteObama]

Fascist Obama must go!!!! Since Fascist Obama supports the Muslim Brotherhood, he should go to Egypt and join his brothers in arms. Fascist Obama is nothing but a dictator who's time has come so he must go. I loathe all dictators and pray for their demise. I didn't fight for this country to have some scumbag destroy it. The good news is that the economy is going to tank again so this scumbags days are numbered.

[Rafterman11]

Wow, what irrational, tin foil propaganda. I actually feel sad for you.

[realist2010]

So, now Republicans can hate the world, half of America, AND the Supreme Court. Well played, Rush babies!

[VotePovertyVoteObama]

Coming from a Liberal, I thank you for the compliment. God bless you!!!

[aintfakin]

What will they say?
Robmee will come out with yet another playground taunt....and of course no plan of his own. He has enough money he can pay for any surgery directly....so why should he worry?

I'm hoping a strike down will open the door for new momentum for a single payer option. Another "socialist" idea put forth by republicans in years gone by.

[cubscout09]

Well, for the purposes of Medicaid expansion, the Waiver just became "Opt in".

[aintfakin]

BAKE1234 June 28, 2012 9:20 AM EDT
no business large or small wants or needs to be told what to do by our king and dictator obummer.
------------------------------------
not too worry
it appears rush has already made sure there is no more room in your head for anything else