Did You Know...

**Written by Doug Powers

Alternate headline: Ruth Bader Ginsburg not ready for her close-up:

The Supreme Court rejected requests from news organizations Friday for live, televised coverage of this month’s historic arguments on President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, but agreed to release audio recordings of the proceedings on the same day.
[...]
The justices have never allowed cameras inside the courtroom and decided not to make an exception for the health care case, despite what the court called “extraordinary public interest.”

There goes my daytime viewing plans on March 26-28.

A little more on the time allotted for arguments:

The six hours the court will devote to arguments is a testament to the case’s importance. The last time the court heard longer arguments in a politically charged case was in 1966, over the Voting Rights Act, a crowning achievement of the civil rights movement.

And the last time the Supreme Court ruled that a major piece of economic legislation was beyond Congressional power to regulate commerce was in 1936, when the court struck down minimum-wage and maximum-hour requirements in the coal industry.

**Written by Doug Powers

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