COMMENTARY | It didn't take long for an Obamacare supporter to set off the political Right shortly after Thursday's Supreme Court ruling that the Affordable Care Act of 2010 was constitutional. In fact, the shot across the bow that caused a barrage of angry conservative comments came via Twitter and was posted by none other than former White House political director and current Democratic National Committee executive director Patrick Gaspard.
"it's constitutional. B****es," he wrote, according to CNN.
Although he later clarified that he had let the "excitement get the better of" him, Gaspard's words drew return fire. A firefight of words over Gaspard's inappropriateness ensued.
In fact, Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus called on his Democratic counterpart, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz to condemn the remarks.
So how puerile are our politicians going to get? Judging by historical standards, it could get pretty childish.
Because, regardless of his level of excitability, Gaspard's Twitter post was meant to rankle and provoke. It was a petty prod at the GOP, which had at least hoped for the Supreme Court to strike down the individual mandate clause of Obamacare as unconstitutional. With conservative-leaning Chief John Roberts casting the deciding vote, the law was upheld in a 5-4 decision.
But on the opposite side, Priebus could have simply let the Twitter tweet stand as a testament to unnecessary ad hominem gloating. Instead, the RNC chairman came off like a petty whiner wanting Gaspard to at least be verbally chastised for his poor choice of words.
Besides, it isn't as if conservatives are actually annoyed at Gaspard. (Well, perhaps a little; he did call Obamacare opponents, most of which are Republicans, b****es.) They're simply angry about the Supreme Court ruling that upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. And they're furious that, like the ruling on Monday where the justices upheld the conservative-backed "heart" of the Arizona immigration law, the Supreme Court did not strike down the individual mandate provision and at least hand them something as a consolation prize.
But Gaspard's tweet certainly wasn't appreciated.
It did, however, provide an easy and rather clear target for the venting of conservative anger against the Supreme Court decision.
