Democrats in trouble with health care decision

Chris Cillizza:

Thursday was a banner day for President Obama and congressional Democrats as the Supreme Court validated the signature accomplishment of his first term in office.


But, even as Democrats celebrated, Republicans insisted that their rivals — and members of the media — couldn’t see the forest through the trees. 

Jonathan Collegio, communications director for American Crossroads, a leading conservative outside group, called the ruling a “millstone” around the neck of any Democrat running for federal office this fall. 

“The Supreme Court’s decision forces Obamacare to be litigated in the 2012 elections, and in virtually every case where Obamacare has been litigated by voters in an election, the law and its supporters lose,” added Collegio. 

“This ruling is the kiss of death for the Democrat majority in the U.S . Senate as health care just became a tax increase on the middle class in one of the worst economies Americans have ever faced,” added longtime Republican strategist Chris LaCivita. 

Rhetoric aside, there were other signs of blowback to the ruling within Republican ranks on Thursday — most notably the fact that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney raised $2 million in the hours after the decision was announced. 

And, Democrats running in swing — and Republican-leaning — states were very careful not to tout the ruling too loudly either.

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 There’s little question that the law — at least in data over the last two years — has consistently been viewed more unfavorably than favorably....“I think this is such a disaster for Democrats,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee executive director Rob Jesmer. “We can credibly say there is only one way to get rid of health care and that is legislatively.”
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While our initial readout in the aftermath of the Court’s decision was that this was a good thing for President Obama and, hence, a bad thing for Republicans, it’s a more intriguing question to debate whether downballot Democrats could pay the price for the Administration’s victory on the health care issue.
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To get rid of the law, you have to defeat Obama too.  Otherwise he would just veto any repeal legislation.  This makes the court decision bad news for Obama and all Democrats.  They are going to have to be defeated at every level.