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The Weekly Standard Senior Writer Stephen Hayes on Obama’s comments on the Supreme Court and their political impact.
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Now is Stephen Hayes senior writer for the weekly standard Fox News contributor Steve great to have you are with us -- even.
The president.
Ed Henry reporting that you're trying to walk back.
This confrontation.
That the president appears.
To sort of you know he seems like he sort of shifting gears back and forth he wants a confrontation he doesn't your thought.
Why don't think that the White House I'm not sure that the press the president's comments war thought out well developed something -- planned yesterday but.
I'm certain that the White House didn't expect the reaction that they've gotten they they could not of expected to blow back that he's -- and that they've gotten.
For the president's you know -- effectively attack on the Supreme Court preemptive attack on the Supreme Court.
And it's a problem not just because it looks bad to have the president -- the supreme port.
But he also got several things wrong I -- -- -- were not right when he made the attack.
Well one of them he said it was unprecedented.
Prices secondly he said that a majority had -- supported invoked the congress and the senate.
And a strong words -- -- a sensitive but a majority had supported.
The Affordable Care Act.
Those are two instances right.
Right exactly and I look that's a problem you can't the president United States up.
You know in front of the country in effect.
Attacking the third branch of government and getting his back strong so I think what he tried to do today with his answer was tipped -- -- -- -- used the -- re calibrate sort of take a different tone Friday for an argument.
But I think he may have cost himself additional difficulty here because in the introduction that you played.
You have the president saying that that there's a heavy burden on those who would overturn this law to make their case.
And when he says that what he's actually doing is taking direct opposition to an argument that.
Made during the oral arguments when he Anthony Kennedy said that this case the expansion of the federal government's power in this case was so unprecedented.
It would so reshape the relationship between citizens -- In their government.
That the heavy burden was in fact on the government to prove that it was constitutional so the president to here is seems to be picking a fight with Anthony Kennedy.
-- and you make a -- point and I.
Absolutely exact.
His statements directly Contra meaning.
The statements of the justice he desperately needs to have this this law.
Be preserved by the High Court it's it's stunning.
What do you make of -- -- suggestions by some that somehow there's been a leak of from the Supreme Court that this president has advance word of the early vote.
I've taken Friday.
And these these rather intemperate I think it's reasonable to say remarks by the president.
Have been motivated by -- by that knowledge.
Well anything's possible I mean we haven't had these kind of leaks.
And you know as a routine matter in the past though it's certainly the case that.
Anybody with Supreme Court sources working here in Washington is calling them and try to find out.
What had been.
If the president were seeking to intimidate the Supreme Court again I don't know that that's when you were doing.
It would be foolish in the extreme I mean I think it was unwise to launch a political attack that I took to be his setting up an argument in the events.
That the Supreme Court strikes down the individual mandate but if you're doing this to intimidate the Supreme Court and then compound that error.
Buy it directly challenging an argument that Anthony Kennedy made in questioning during oral arguments that would be very very foolish.
It would be foolish on so many levels but amongst on the fact that Chief Justice John Roberts as Chief Justice for -- And he is in office insured only until January of next year.
Steven Hayes thanks so much for being here we're.
