The Day Obama Was in Court; The building of a Legacy.....by Jamil Shawwa

This week, couple of day apart, The US Supreme Court upheld the cornerstones of the Obama presidency; Immigration Law and Health Law. In 2008, Barack Obama became president when America was down economically but not militarily, America did not have Health system for its citizens and America did not have a comprehensive immigration policies to deal and handle the illegal immigrants flooding its borders- America until now does not have a national strong immigration policies; it has laws but not policies. It has the vehicle but not the wheels or the fuel to drive and to make it happen. Accordingly, some States within the Union decided to take matters in their own hands, for both Health and immigration- The federal government was lacking and is still lacking in taking care of business with strong comprehensive policies. But, regardless, it did not mean that the Union crumbles and it did not mean that each State can act on its own when it comes to matters that in the constitution are in the heart of the inherent American federal system. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Health act into Law and since then, States and the Republican party launched lawsuits against the constitutionality of the Law; the main or the focal point has been that the federal Government cannot force people into a health system and if they do not, then they have to pay penalty; Today the Supreme court upheld the Law. On immigration, the State of Arizona and its political establishment from the governor to a sheriff of a little town, also took matters into their own hands, and issued a controversial law, that if passed nationally would have destroyed a foundation of the United States as one country with national policies handled primarily through Congress and the President. The Federal government challenged the law and yesterday it won. Obama had his days in Court, and came out not as an accidental caretaker president that in 2008 a bad economy carried to office, but came out with a legacy that probably will carry him into the ultimate goal of any US president; to be reelected. Obama was not the only US government entity that built a legacy, the Supreme Court today and its chairman, John Roberts, built a legacy  by upholding pillars and  cornerstones of the inherent powers of  Federal government.