Don't do drugs!

[dude1394]

And don't vote for democrats...In any race.

They played almost no role in crafting or passing the new federal health care legislation, but Democratic attorneys general have suddenly emerged as prominent actors in the post-passage drama over the constitutionality of the landmark law.

Until recently, the Democratic attorneys general have largely sat on the sidelines as more than a dozen of their GOP counterparts banded together to pursue a lawsuit against the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s domestic policy agenda. Like many in their party, they dismissed the suit as a naked political play without any legal grounding — an opinion based on the fact that many of the Republicans advancing the cause are seeking higher office.

But now, some of the Democratic AGs have become reluctant combatants, dragged into the fray by GOP governors and legislators who insist that their reluctance to join the case is a clear attempt to protect their national party’s interests.

The Democratic attorneys general facing the most pressure tend to hail from Republican-leaning states — indeed, it’s no coincidence that the only Democrat to join the lawsuit is Buddy Caldwell, the attorney general from Louisiana, a state where Obama is unpopular.

Complicating the situation, several of those Democratic AGs are themselves running for higher office. In Kentucky, Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway — who is running for an open Senate seat — has said the establishment of programs like Social Security and Medicare proves that Congress has authority to implement a sweeping health care overhaul without violating state rights, but his Republican opponents frame his resistance as evidence of his fealty to a liberal national party.

Secretary of State Trey Grayson, who trails physician Rand Paul in the Kentucky GOP Senate primary, has launched an online petition to repeal the law and called on Conway to join the effort.

"Jack Conway should stand up to Washington and fight for the commonwealth of Kentucky against this massive new unfunded and unconstitutional federal mandate on states like ours,” Grayson said.

Conway, meanwhile, has dismissed the effort as a political stunt.

The debate in Kentucky pales next to the one in Georgia, where Democratic Attorney General Thurbert Baker has defied GOP Gov. Sonny Perdue and the wishes of many in the Republican-controlled Legislature and rejected the idea of challenging the law. In response, Perdue has pledged to take legal action without Baker's blessing, and 31 GOP state House members have signed onto a resolution to bring articles of impeachment against the attorney general.

Baker, who is himself running for governor, has unequivocally ruled out filing any lawsuit, calling it a "losing argument and a waste of time."

"After my review of the matter, I've found no legal basis to pursue litigation. I will tell you, I'm standing firm on my decision and I think we are correct," Baker told POLITICO.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories...#ixzz0jrbVJTDW

[chumdawg]

Baker, who is himself running for governor, has unequivocally ruled out filing any lawsuit, calling it a "losing argument and a waste of time."

Can't sum it up any better than that.

But of course, there are reasons beside getting the bill overturned that would represent a good use of some people's time.