Texas AG Abbott goes Orwell on Obamacare loss - it seems

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is the leading prosecutorial officer in Texas and was one of the leaders in 26 states' lawsuits against "Obamacare."


Given the press release below, which I got via office email, you'd think he and his 25 fellow state AGs won the case, not lost it:

"This is an historic victory for individual liberty, states’ rights, and limited government. Today the Supreme Court made crystal clear that the federal government is more restrained than yesterday and yet, through a novel application of the facts, the Court did what Congress was afraid to do--called ObamaCare a tax on all Americans. This is particularly ironic since President Obama, himself, insisted this was not a tax.

"The decision marks a turning point in constitutional history. The Supreme Court rebuked a runaway federal government that tried to hijack the Constitution by imposing an unprecedented requirement forcing Americans to buy a product against their will. In doing so, the Court dismantled the centerpiece of ObamaCare—the federal government’s authority to compel Americans to purchase a product.

"The Court also agreed that States are individual sovereigns that cannot be commandeered by the federal government. In this instance, by forcing States to expand Medicaid, the federal government tried to hold States hostage.

"Our challenge to ObamaCare was never about healthcare or insurance – it was about the rule of law and a fight against a federal government that continues to expand. In this respect, today’s decision was a total victory. As the federal government seeks to impose the remainder of ObamaCare, it must do so within the limits prescribed by the Constitution.

"Although the individual mandate was ruled unconstitutional, the remainder of ObamaCare may be on life support—and we will continue our work to pull the plug on this unworkable and unpopular law. It is time for Congress to step in and end the ObamaCare nightmare by repealing an unprecedented tax on all Americans."

Historic victory? How?


However, the whole thing is a Poe, I think. The start of it is also posted on the state AG's website, but clicking the link for the rest of it goes to his last press relase of a couple of weeks ago.


But, if it is a Poe, that means the website got hacked. Not surprising, given his office's lack of security in the Congressional  redistricting court fight.

Either that, or per my previous blog post, Abbott's office stupidly released the wrong pre-written press release.

UPDATE, 1 p.m. It was office stupidity that released the wrong press statement, it seems. Either that, or the AG got some stupid information; given that both Faux and CNN misreported, that's possible, too. In any case, Abbott has a new one statement on the AG's website that is, itself, still semi-Orwellian:

While today's ruling rebuked an overreaching federal government, the Supreme Court nonetheless upheld the insurance requirement by calling it a tax. The Supreme Court made crystal clear that the federal government is more restrained today than yesterday. Relying on a novel application of the facts, the Court did what Congress was afraid to do--called ObamaCare a tax on all Americans. This is particularly ironic since President Obama, himself, insisted this was not a tax.

The Court also agreed that States are individual sovereigns that cannot be commandeered by the federal government. In this instance, by forcing States to expand Medicaid, the federal government tried to hold States hostage.

Our challenge to ObamaCare was never about healthcare or insurance – it was about the rule of law and a fight against a federal government that continues to expand. As the federal government seeks to impose the remainder of ObamaCare, it must do so within the limits prescribed by the Constitution.

Although the individual mandate was found to exceed Congress' authority to regulate commerce, the Court allowed ObamaCare to stay intact by ruling that the mandate is a tax. We will continue our work to fight this unworkable and unpopular law. It is time for Congress to step in and end the ObamaCare nightmare by repealing this unprecedented tax on all Americans.

The Gregster offers no proof that Obama was "rebuked" in any way. So, the rest of his idiotic statement falls apart after that.

Meanwhile,  other wingnuts like John Cornyn are now bloviating on the Senate floor.

Abbott does have one "skill." He makes Rick Perry look smooth when he lies.