Chief Justice Roberts rises, Fox News reporters shine, President Obama wins, but …

The healthcare decision was a gigantic legal victory for President Obama. The politics will in my view be 50-50. I tip my hat to the legal team of Fox News, which gave by far the most professionally accurate coverage of the decision (I always call them as I see them). There will now be much unhappiness and probably anger from the right against Chief Justice Roberts for his historic vote (along with the court liberals) that kept the mandate alive.

While the decision was a historic legal and legacy victory for President Obama, I doubt the decision will ultimately help or hurt either party.

At this stage in the campaign the president has a slight but definite advantage over Romney. I have argued for some time that the media herd was completely wrong and far too negative about the president's reelection prospects. The election will be close. Either candidate can win. But some of my colleagues have gone way overboard being negative about Obama. The healthcare decision will not change this, though the next jobs report might.

But … my view was, is and will always be that the public option, or "Medicare for all," must be revived before the healthcare system will be seriously reformed. To my friends on the right I say sorry, but on the public option, the voters in large numbers agree with me, not you.

For now there will be celebrations in the White House and consternation on the right. Good. I was never the biggest fan of the final law that was passed, or the mandate, but it is far better for the nation that the healthcare law lives on.

---