SCOTUS Day 2: Obamacare is in deep doo-doo

http://twitter.com/#!/RobStutzman/status/184686823723905025

NBC’s Court guru Pete Williams: “very doubtful that #SCOTUS is going to find health care law constitutional" http://t.co/NVKLoTi1

— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) March 27, 2012

Pelosi: "Are you serious?" SCOTUS: Yes, actually. #Obamacare

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) March 27, 2012

Yesterday, Twitchy spotlighted Day 1 of the Supreme Court oral arguments challenging the constitutionality of President Obama’s massive federal health insurance mandate.

Day 2 brought more clarity to the court’s thinking…and it’s not looking too good for the White House, if Twitter buzz is any indication.

Full audio from Day 2 of the arguments is available here. The full transcript is available here.

If the Supreme Court site is still down, you can read the transcript here: http://t.co/Gw0CI0k0

— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) March 27, 2012

Just got out of oral agrs. A very good day for opponents of Obamacare.

— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) March 27, 2012

Kennedy emphasized unprecedented nature of mandate, suggested gov had a "heavy burden of justification"

— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) March 27, 2012

Roberts said if mandate is upheld, government power will be without limits.

— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) March 27, 2012

J. Toobin says, based on his take on today"s SCOTUS questions, the indiv. mandate is "in grave, grave" peril. Says Kennedy seemed opposed

— Neil King (@NKingofDC) March 27, 2012

Argument is done. Gov"t has a shot at Kennedy, Alito, and Roberts. But no clear fifth vote. All commerce, no tax power.

— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) March 27, 2012

If Justice Anthony M. Kennedy can locate a limiting principle in the federal government’s defense of the new individual health insurance mandate, or can think of one on his own, the mandate may well survive. If he does, he may take Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and a majority along with him. But if he does not, the mandate is gone. That is where Tuesday’s argument wound up — with Kennedy, after first displaying a very deep skepticism, leaving the impression that he might yet be the mandate’s savior.

If the vote had been taken after Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli, Jr., stepped back from the lectern after the first 56 minutes, and the audience stood up for a mid-argument stretch, the chances were that the most significant feature of the Affordable Care Act would have perished in Kennedy’s concern that it just might alter the fundamental relationship between the American people and their government. But after two arguments by lawyers for the challengers — forceful and creative though they were — at least doubt had set in. and expecting the demise of the mandate seemed decidedly premature.

New update posted. Paul Clement gave the best argument I"ve ever heard. No real hard questions from the right. Mandate is in trouble.

— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) March 27, 2012

The Solicitor General seemed to be especially nervous at the start today and stumbled with answers at times

— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) March 27, 2012

While it would be premature to say there is a 5-4 majority against the mandate, it clearly is in legal trouble

— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) March 27, 2012

One thing was clear, the Solicitor General (arguing for the Obama Administration) had a bad day in court

— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) March 27, 2012

In a city that wastes a lot of time prognosticating, the biggest waste of time right now is trying to predict SCOTUS health care outcome.

— capitolization (@capitolization) March 20, 2012

"the Obama administration"s lawyer was unprepared for the attacks against the individual mandate…" http://t.co/dhEuQLs0

— Andrew Stiles (@AndrewStilesUSA) March 27, 2012

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2012/03/27/scotus-day-2-obamacare-is-in-deep-doo-doo/

SCOTUS Day 2: Obamacare is in deep doo-doo