Judge Roger Vinson cues Jeopardy music for White House: gives administration seven days to appeal his obliteration of Obamacare

Judge Roger Vinson today stayed his ruling that declared Obamacare's individual mandate unconstitutional. But the liberals' celebration of this news is premature, to say the least, and betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the legal process.

Vinson’s order today is an attempt to end the Justice Department’s foot-dragging on filing an appeal. The judge called out the White House shenanigans and set a deadline:

U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled Thursday that implementation of the health law can proceed — but he gave the Obama administration just seven days to file an appeal... Vinson issued a stay of his own Jan. 31 ruling that declared the entire health care reform law unconstitutional. He chastised the government for not interpreting that ruling as an immediate injunction to stop implementing the new law.

...Vinson criticized the Justice Department for not following normal procedure and requesting a stay... "It was not expected that they would effectively ignore the order and declaratory judgment for two and one-half weeks, continue to implement the Act, and only then file a belated motion to 'clarify,'" Vinson wrote...

Vinson is trying to push the government into quickly resolving the case, requiring them to file an expedited appeal to the 11th Circuit or Supreme Court...

By now, the culture of contempt should always be expected by taxpayers, private businesses, and judges.

Your move, AG Eric Holder.

Ed Morrissey offers the executive summary.

The White House asked for a clarification. They got a trip to the woodshed instead, and a very short time frame to stop the halt to ObamaCare that Vinson’s ruling creates.

That sound you hear in the distance is the Jeopardy music marking time.


Linked by: Michelle Malkin. Thanks!