Newspapers across the country are either split about which side prevailed in yesterday’s Supreme Court decision on Arizona’s immigration law, or they are calling it a split decision. But there is one easy way to tell which side actually won: only one party rushed to the microphones to announce new legislation overturning the Court.
Senate Democrats are considering introducing legislation that would prevent local law enforcement from checking a suspect’s immigration status when they are stopped for a different offense. “I’m greatly concerned AZ provision endangering innocent citizens of being detained —unless carrying papers – will lead to racial profiling,” Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said after the decision was announced.
More importantly, the Court affirmed that President Obama cannot rewrite our nation’s immigration laws simply by choosing not to enforce them. The Heritage Foundation‘s John Maclom explains:
In 1996, as part of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, Congress made it clear that states retain inherent authority to cooperate in immigration enforcement and to supplement federal resources with their own. Federal officials are required by law to respond whenever state or local officers request verification of an alien’s immigration status (Homeland Security operates a 24/7 hotline for exactly that purpose). As Justice Anthony Kennedy said for the majority, “Federalism, central to the constitutional design, adopts the principle that both the National and State Governments have elements of sovereignty the other is bound to respect.”
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Today’s decision means that the Obama Administration may not, by executive order, prevent states like Arizona from participating in an immigration verification process set up by Congress. The President may disagree, but for his disagreement to actually have the force of law, he will have to persuade members of Congress—a refreshing change for a President who has seen fit to go it alone far too frequently.
Beyond immigration, yesterday’s Arizona decision should serve as a huge warning sign to Obama that this Court is not going to tolerate his many abuses of executive power.
Campaign 2012
Obama: Obama was booed while campaigning in Boston Monday when he teased the crowd about losing Red Sox third basemen Kevin Youkilis to his home town Chicago White Sox. The rest of his speech was well received.
Around the Bigs
The Wall Street Journal, Blue Chips Retreat: Stocks fell around the globe and oil prices eased on Monday amid lowered expectations for any further progress on Europe’s debt crisis.
The Washington Post, Supreme Court reaffirms Citizens United, tosses Montana corporate spending ban: A narrowly divided Supreme Court on Monday reaffirmed its landmark 2010 decision allowing corporations to spend unlimited money on elections, deciding that a state court was wrong to uphold Montana’s century-old ban on political spending by businesses.
The New York Times, Justices Bar Mandatory Life Terms for Juveniles: The Supreme Court ruled Monday that laws requiring youths convicted of murder to be sentenced to die in prison violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
CNN, Government wants more people on food stamps: More than one in seven Americans are on food stamps, but the federal government wants even more people to sign up for the safety net program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been running radio ads for the past four months encouraging those eligible to enroll.
Associated Press, Jesse Jackson Jr. Takes Medical Leave of Absence: U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who defeated a primary challenge this year despite being the target of a House ethics investigation, has been on a medical leave for two weeks and is being treated for exhaustion, his office announced Monday.
Righty Playbook
The Koch brothers and Ed Crane have reached an agreement on the future leadership of Cato. Crane will step down and a new Board of Directors will be chosen.
The Heritage Foundation‘s Curtis Dubay finds that the fine print in Obama’s 2013 budget caps exemptions and exclusions, not just itemized deductions.
The Washington Examiner‘s Phil Klein talks to former-Justice Sam Alito clerk Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who predicts if Chief Justice John Roberts writes the majority opinion in Obamacare, as now seems most likely, it is “substantially more likely” the individual mandate will be ovderturned.
Lefty Playbook
The Washington Post‘s Ezra Klein argues that Obama Solicitor General Don Verrilli’s “worst performance” made it easier for the Court to strike down Obamacare.
At Naked Capitalism, Matt Stoller explains that “the source of Obama’s power to trick us is our willingness to be tricked .”
The Maddow Blog‘s Steve Benen notes that the free stuff in Obamacare is popular.
