Obama Welcomes Election Year Healthcare Ruling

A White House spokesman told reporters in Hawaii Monday that President Obama is not bothered by the Supreme Court’s decision to rule on his Affordable Care Act in the middle of an intense re-election campaign next year.

When asked whether Obama is worried about the timing of the ruling on his signature legislative accomplishment so far in office, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said simply, “he’s not.”

Earnest said that the White House is encouraged by the news that the healthcare law, which has slowly made its way through the federal court system, will be reviewed by the High Court. He added that the individual mandate, the heart of the law that has been challenged by many, will ultimately be judged constitutional.

“There is a political calculation that was reached by the opponents of the Affordable Care Act to pick this fight,” Earnest said. “We are confident that it’s something that’s going to be upheld by the Supreme Court.”

Protesters Disrupt Healthcare CEO

By Mike Hothi

Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Scott Serota’s address to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today was interrupted by demonstrators claiming to represent the “99 percent.”

Serota’s speech was intended to outline what his company is doing to improve healthcare, but was met with loud opposition from the protestors, who accused him of increasing costs in order to profit more greatly.

“Health insurers are not health providers,” they shouted. “They restrict or deny medical treatment and charge increasing premiums to make more profit.”

The demonstrators were dispersed throughout the room — as soon as one was removed, another would stand up and continue reading from a prepared statement.

It took a few minutes for security to contain the chaos and the rest of Serota’s discussion went off without incident.

Serota acknowledged that there must be a role for government in healthcare. “There’s no doubt that fixing the healthcare system is an imperative for the U.S.,” he said.

He laid out a framework that his company is following to improve healthcare for its customers that involves designing incentive programs to ensure safety and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Cantor Wants Stronger Balanced Budget Amendment

The House is expected to take up a balanced budget amendment (BBA) this week, but House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said, if he had it his way, the amendment would be stronger. 

“Overwhelmingly, members feel that the version we’re bringing to the floor is the one that they would like to see,” Cantor said. “Personally, if I had my druthers, I would like to see us vote on the stronger BBA.”

As it sits, the current BBA does not include a ceiling for spending nor does ti require a supermajority to increase taxes. 

Cantor said he will vote in favor this version of the amendment when the House takes it up later this week. 

McCain At Odds With GOP Candidates Over Waterboarding

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) fired back Monday against a handful of Republican presidential candidates who said over the weekend that they support the practice of allowing federal law enforcement officers to waterboard suspected terrorists.

“Very disappointed by statements at SC GOP debate supporting waterboarding. Waterboarding is torture,” McCain tweeted this morning.

The 2008 GOP presidential nominee was responding to comments made by a few current candidates during Saturday night’s debate in South Carolina.

Businessman Herman Cain said he would bring back the controversial method. “I don’t see it as torture,” he said. “I see it as an enhanced interrogation technique.”

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) also said they favor waterboarding.

Under former president George W. Bush, U.S. officials used the technique several times on terror suspects that were detained at the military’s facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. President Obama, however, banned waterboarding in 2009.

Obama Weighs In On Penn State Scandal

By Mike Hothi

President Obama weighed in on the Penn State sexual abuse scandal Sunday, accusing the school of putting too strong an emphasis on their own prestige.

“What happened at Penn State indicates that at a certain point, folks start thinking about systems and institutions and don’t think about individuals,” Obama said during a press conference in Hawaii

“Evil can thrive in the world just by good people standing by and doing nothing,” Obama added. “And all of us I think have occasion where we see something that’s wrong, we’ve got to make sure that we step up.”

The scandal is centered on Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who allegedly sexually assaulted a child in a school locker room.

The incident was reported the it to head coach Joe Paterno the following day. Paterno then reported the assault to university administrators who dealt with the matter internally.

Amid allegations of a coverup, Paterno was fired last week and two of the University’s administrators resigned.