Clinton: Supreme Court arguments on health law 'unusually politicized'

Former president Bill Clinton says the healthcare reform law isn't unconstitutional in any "way, shape or form" and argues the Supreme Court would only strike it down for political reasons.

Clinton said last week’s oral arguments on the law in the Supreme Court  were "unusually politicized."

"It was an unusually politicized discussion, I thought," Clinton said on MSNBC in an interview that aired Monday.

"Nobody knows how well it's going to work, because it's just now being implemented. But I don't think it was unconstitutional in any way, shape or form. Even in the 1790s, George Washington mandated that shipping companies insure their employees, he signed a bill mandating that able-bodied citizens have firearms in their home because they thought the British were coming again, John Adams signed a bill to mandate that individual seamen have hospitalization insurance. To me, it's hard to take the constitutional argument seriously, so I think there's a little more politics."

Clinton also predicted that President Obama would be reelected because the economy was beginning to show signs of recovery — and because of the unpopularity of Republican leaders in Congress.

"First of all, I think President Obama will be reelected because people perceive the economy is getting better and we're headed in the right direction," Clinton said, adding he also liked the current president's chances because "people have had two years of the Tea Party Congress, and polls show they don't like it very much."

He also doubled down on his prediction that it would be tough for Mitt Romney to pivot back to the center after staking out conservative positions for the Republican primary — especially because of a perception that he's politically opportunistic.

"I never had to change anything I said in the primary — there was no 'Etch A Sketch' issue for me," Clinton said. "I have some sympathy for Gov. Romney, because he couldn't have been nominated defending the Massachusetts law as a good law for the nation, because of where the Republican primary went."

Clinton was referring to a comment made by Romney senior aide Eric Fehrnstom during an interview on CNN last month. Fehrnstrom, asked if Romney's efforts to woo conservative voters in the primary would hurt him in the general, said, "I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch a Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again.

"Romney's got to deal with people's real aversion to putting the presidency and the White House in the hands of a party they already don't like in the Congress," Clinton added.

Clinton told the network he would participate in at least three fundraisers for President Obama's reelection effort.

The former president also left the door open to a potential 2016 presidential bid by his wife, and current secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. The former first lady has repeatedly denied interest in running again for public office, saying she plans to retire at the end of President Obama's first term.

"It's up to her, really. I don't think she plans to do it, and I think you will understand this in 30 years or so, but Hillary's worked really hard for 20 years — it's just been a constant, relentless thing. She wants to come home, get a little rest, do some other things, she's told you and everyone else that she'll probably never run for office again, but I've been there, I know what happens when you go through this decompression after years of relentless, high-profile activity," Clinton said.

"Whatever she does, I'll support her," he added.

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