Chief Justice John Roberts was initially ready to strike down the Obama health plan but ultimately decided to find a way to declare it constitutional. That’s the assessment of Galen Institute President Grace-Marie Turner, who has been on the front lines in the battle against government intervention in health care since before the Clinton-era health debate in the 1990s. Turner says other critics have good points that the Roberts decision contains aspects that could make repeal easier and she says that means voters will have the final say on Obamacare in November. Turner expects this to be a huge issue, perhaps even eclipsing the economy. She also calls the ruling ‘corrosive to job creation’ since business owners refuse to make long term plans to expand or add workers until they know how much this plan will cost them. Turner says she is not worried that Mitt Romney could turn out to be weak on this issue despite his record back in Massachusetts. She says Romney has no choice but to follow through on the promises he’s making right now.
