Would George Washington support Obamacare?

Can the federal government force you to a buy a product?

Listen to Dave’s Commentary: Would George Washington support Obamacare?

The Supreme Court is about to hear arguments on health care reform — the key issue being whether it’s constitutional to require everyone to buy health insurance.

This week, the lawyers who will argue the case held a debate, and on the central issue: Can the federal government force you to a buy a product? A pro-Obama lawyer said not only is it constitutional, but such a requirement was imposed by none other than the father of our country:

“Let me just read you the language that George Washington signed his name to: ‘In which every citizen shall, within six months, provide himself with a good musket or firelock, a sufficient bayonet and belt, two spare flints, and an absak, a pouch containing a box with no less than 24 cartridges,’ and on and on and on.”

And on and on… the father of our country signed a law requiring citizens to buy guns and ammo.

Nonsense, said the other side, the issue here is trying to define health care as interstate commerce, and then punishing people for not participating in that commerce:

“I’m sitting at home in my living room, I’m not buying insurance. I’m not engaged in commerce, local, intrastate so how can they force me to enter into the stream of commerce?” -Michael Carvin?

But both sides did agree on one thing which may surprise you: both sides, including the opponents of what we’ve come to call Obamacare, admit that if Congress had just passed a health care tax, and used that tax money to force insurance on everybody, it would be obviously constitutional.

And as for what recourse the people would have in that event? The supporter of Obamacare said, ‘hey, that’s easy:’

“If you do on like this, vote the bums out.” -Akhil Amar