Tossing Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli a defeat, the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to consider his bid to fast track his politically-charged challenge to President Obama’s health-care reform law. The high court didn’t even bother to issue comments on its decision.
Why? The usual procedure is for the justices to wait to get the decisions of lower appeals courts before weighing in on them.
But that obviously wasn’t good enough for Cuccinelli, a hard-right politician who wants to score national points by being especially aggressive against Obamacare. He’s been show-boating and playing to the Republican faithful with his fast-track scheme, which, of course, is costing the Virginia taxpayer extra.
It is likely that the high court will eventually hear arguments about health-care challenges but only after the judicial chain of command has been followed. So, far judges in lower courts have been split along party lines on the law’s constitutionality.
Peter Galuszka
