Nevada Governor and Attorney General in Battle Over Health Care Reform

Image of partyin' Gov. Gibbons from Wonkette

From everything I've read and heard, an attempt to repeal the recently enacted health care reform bill would be a long shot. Claims that it is un-Constitutional also seem to be on rather shaky legal ground. It is also amusingly ironic that the sticky-wicket they're fighting over is the "mandate" that requires citizens to buy health care. Why ironic? Because it was proposed by Republicans in the first place, back in 1993, in response to "HillaryCare."

Several state Governors have had their Attorneys General file suit against the government on those grounds, and a few have run into a stalemate. Here in Nevada, our Governor Gibbons--who's had to pump up his conservative cred in order to try to hang onto his job--is running up against the Nevada AG, who is a Democrat. She thinks it's a waste of time and money, and she is most likely correct. So, crafty (shifty) Gibbons is trying an end-run. Will it blow up in his face? I'll be watching.

[Excerpt]

Nevada officials at odds over healthcare law

Nevada's Republican governor and Democratic attorney general are prime examples of the partisan bickering over the new healthcare law in recent weeks, with the pair publicly warring over whether the state should join a lawsuit attempting to thwart the legislation.

On Tuesday, they took steps toward a potential constitutional cage match.

Gov. Jim Gibbons announced he would sidestep Atty. Gen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who had declined to join more than a dozen states in challenging the healthcare law's constitutionality, and retain private counsel for the effort. . .

Read more at: Los Angeles Times