David Plouffe: Mitt Romney 'Godfather' of the Individual Mandate
Obama senior adviser David Plouffe this morning on "This Week" called GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney the 'godfather' of the individual mandate and expressed confidence that The United States Supreme Court would rule President Obama's health care law constitutional.
"The mandate is an idea supported by the Heritage Foundation, Newt Gingrich, Bob Dole, most famously kind of the godfather of the mandate, Mitt Romney. So we're confident that it will be upheld," said Plouffe. "Now, as it relates to the Supreme Court, we're confident that it's going to be upheld. You had Democratic and Republican jurists upheld it in lower court decisions, including two very prominent conservative jurists."
President Obama's health care law will go in front of The United States Supreme Court Monday and potential outcomes of the case were discussed on the roundtable this morning.
"Well, the smart money is betting that the Supreme Court will uphold this law. Now, a lot of the same smart money bet that the Supreme Court would not declare corporations are people and have First Amendment or will award the 2000 election to George W. Bush, " Terry Moran, a "Nightline" co-anchor, said. "They can punt. And I think they will."
ABC's George Will disagreed, arguing that the Supreme Court would rule on the constitutionality of President Obama's heath care law.
"I really disagree with Terry on this. I think the Supreme Court is composed of nine intelligent, conscientious judges who are prepared to judge in this case. Why did they take it?" asked Will. "They're going to decide - try at long last to see if there is any limiting principle on the ability of Congress to act simply because it asserts that whatever they're regulating has a substantial impact on interstate commerce."
ABC News contributor Donna Brazile predicted the that health care law would be ruled constitutional.
"The law is - I believe - I'm not a lawyer. I don't even pretend to be one. The law is constitutional," said Brazile. "Multiple circuit courts have upheld the individual responsibility clause. Congress has broad authority under the necessary and proper clause and interstate commerce clause. And the law is also fair. I mean, to require that people who can afford to purchase insurance, I think, it's going to be ruled constitutional. "