Orange County Register: ObamaCare unconstitutional

February 01, 2011 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

The Orange County Register has this editorial on yesterday’s decision on the constitutionality of ObamaCare:

This is an important step toward what we hope is the ultimate undoing of President Barack Obama and the 111th Congress’ centerpiece legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which effectively would bring one-sixth of the economy under the federal government’s control.

“The Constitution establishes a framework of limited government in order to protect our liberty,” commented Pacific Legal Foundation principal attorney Timothy Sandefur. “You simply can’t square constitutional, limited government with the Obama Administration's idea of forcing everyone to buy health insurance, or any other product or service. Judge Vinson has brought us back to basics and reminded us that we do not live in a society where our lives are ordered by bureaucrats in Washington D.C.”

…We find Judge Vinson’s reasoning persuasive. We also find it obvious that Congress has no authority to dictate whether private people purchase or don’t purchase health insurance or any other privately provided commodity or service. We're encouraged by Monday's ruling and hope the Supreme Court takes up the matter sooner rather than later.

(Read the rest…)