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Stand by for Extreme Confusion…

A second federal judge ruled on Monday that it was unconstitutional for Congress to enact a health care law that requires Americans to obtain commercial insurance, evening the score at two-to-two in the lower courts as conflicting opinions begin their path to the Supreme Court.

Well, “Obamacare Declared Unconstitutional” isn’t exactly news, is it?

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This morning’s email blast from The Flunky to The Preznit of These United States:

Our progress is under attack.

Their majority is not even a day old, but House Republicans are already getting ready to pass a bill to repeal health reform.

Quickly followed by this morning’s news:

The Obama administration, reversing course, will revise a Medicare regulation to delete references to end-of-life planning as part of the annual physical examinations covered under the new health care law, administration officials said Tuesday.

Memo to House Republicans: You win.

U.S. Alters Rule on Paying for End-of-Life Planning [NYT]

“A federal district judge in Virginia ruled on Monday that the keystone provision in the Obama health care law is unconstitutional, becoming the first court in the country to invalidate any part of the sprawling act and ensuring that appellate courts will receive contradictory opinions from below.” [NYT]

Mitch McConnell, this morning:

“By preventing the accumulation of excessive power, the Constitution is designed to reduce the risk of tyranny or abuse at either the Federal or state levels,” McConnell told the audience of conservative legal scholars. “The health care bill would remove an important bulwark of this protection.”

Mitch McConnell, 2007:

Indeed, alarmist concerns notwithstanding, the Patriot Act is one of the most important and overdue pieces of legislation in a generation.

Yes, well, Alarmist Concerns about the Fourth Amendment sure are silly, aren’t they? Unlike Alarmist Concerns about the Individual Mandate, which surely will lead to Tyranny.

“Roll Call reports that [Steve] King is now demanding a ‘blood oath’ from House Minority Leader John Boehner to include a repeal of health care reform in every appropriations bill next year, even if a government shutdown results.” [ThinkProgress]

Lede of the Day: “Barney Frank has enemies, even 30,000 feet in the air. Flying back to Boston from LA yesterday, the congressman was assailed by a pair of ophthalmologists upset about the health care reform bill. An argument ensued that prompted some passengers to wonder if the plane might be forced to land.” [Boston.com]