The president seems to think that he can have it both ways. He applauds the Court for upholding the law but then continues to deny that the mandate is a tax.

The law is not perfect, nor fully operational yet (the mandate not becoming effective until 2014). But, at least the question now can now be “how will it work?” rather than “is the law even constitutional?”

While Republicans will be grappling with how to make Willard Mitt Romney come off as human, Democrats might have to battle criticism of their healthcare efforts should the Affordable Care Act be deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

The outcome of the 2012 presidential election could now be resting in the hands of nine unelected Supreme Court justices as they consider the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare.

This week, the president’s healthcare mandate is being fought over at the Supreme Court, sales of the Etch A Sketch soared thanks to Mitt Romney’s campaign, and the Speaker of the House may have proven that you should never negotiate with him.

Acknowledging the political realities of the nomination and confirmation processes, and demanding that nominees’ records be scrutinized by those on both sides of the aisle is not only good politics. It’s good governance.