The Cheat Sheet

Catch the end of our live panel as we try to figure this all out. 

Bill Clinton Warns About Supreme Court Ruling Against Obamacare

“[The Republicans] refused to back the president in his support for state and local government, and that has allowed 670,000 teachers, police officers, firefighters, and others to be laid off…If they had supported the president, the unemployment rate would be 7.3 percent instead of the current 8-plus percent.”

For decades, the Supreme Court has refused to televise its proceedings, arguing that video cameras would be distracting, encourage grandstanding by justices, and allow snippets of argument to be taken out of context by a voracious news media. 

It doesn’t look like there will be cameras in the Supreme Court any time soon. Which is good if you like the drawings I guess. 

Citing precedents would have required Verrilli to admit that ‘Yes, Virginia (and Florida), there is a government power to make us buy broccoli.’ 

Why we shouldn’t blame Solicitor General Verrilli for the ACA’s stumble in front of the Supreme Court. 

(Photo via @danielwein)

Frontpage: Wednesday, Mar 28th

1. Few Alternatives for Mandate: The Supreme Court heads into its final day Wednesday of arguments about the constitutionality of a mandate that requires all Americans to buy health insurance. If that portion of the law is struck down, it’s unclear how much of the 2010 health-care bill will survive. The justices will be examining the bill to find how much of it can survive without the mandate, which some lower courts have ruled cannot be separated from the bill as a whole—including politically popular portions.
2. Pope to Meet with Raul Castro: According to a government website, Raul Castro said that he will be happy to meet with Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday as the pontiff prepares to celebrate an outdoor mass in Havana. 
3. Iran Agrees to Nuke Talks: It’s time to sit down at the table, Iran’s foreign minister said Wednesday. With the international community concerned about the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions, Iranian officials said that the country will reopen talks about its program April 13.
4. Gingrich to Cut Staff: Big changes abound in the Gingrich camp: a third of the staff will be laid off, Newt’s campaign schedule is shrinking, and his manager has been replaced. The presidential campaign has become so strapped for cash that it started charging supporters $50 for a photo. 
5. NY Maid Launches Suit Against DSK: A New York maid who accused former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault last year launched a civil lawsuit against him on Wednesday. Prosecutors dropped the charges last year against Strauss-Kahn after they said they had serious questions about the credibility of the accuser, Nafissatou Diallo.

Photo: Pope Benedict XVI says Mass in Cuba. More photos from the Pope’s trip.