(Photo: EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS /LANDOV)

By Andre Showell

Despite the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling that let stand the core provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the contentious fighting and partisan rancor is showing no signs of stopping now. Almost immediately following the ruling, conservatives dispatched a cadre of surrogates consisting of governors from red states, all singing from the same political songbook. They appear resolute in their conviction that the Affordable Care Act is bad policy and they will do all they can to nullify its effectiveness.

Oklahoma’s Attorney General Scott Pruitt also took part in the red state upheaval that followed the ruling. He issued a statement on behalf of the Republican Attorneys General Association that delivered an ominous warning: “We’re disappointed the Court upheld the individual mandate, and find it disturbing that they did not place a limit on the power of the federal government to control the lives of Americans. But, the battle isn’t over.”

In a brazen act of defiance to the decision of the highest court in the land, anti-Obamacare die-hard Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) suggests that the health-care law is destructive, unsustainable and unconstitutional. His office sent out a press statement urging governors not to put the health-care law into effect. The press release reads: “I urge every governor to stop implementing health-care exchanges that would help implement the harmful effects of this misguided law. Americans have loudly rejected this federal takeover of health care, and governors should join with the people and reject its implementation.”

The issue brings attention to what could amount to a loophole that Obamacare opponents can use to their advantage. There is apparently no punishment process in place that would compel states to actually move forward with implementation if they choose not do so. But on the other hand, if states chose to simply do nothing, the federal government still has the authority to step in and take over.

The idea of enacting the Affordable Care Act sounds like a simple idea on the surface. But the multitude of requirements and provisions may give states that disagree with the law legal cover that could mean more challenges and courtroom battles in the future.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told Fox News, “We’ll look to the fall and if there’s a new president, and a new Senate that’s part of a Congress that’s willing to change that, the next step is just political.”

(Photo: EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS /LANDOV)

Did it really take a poll to confirm what we who follow the news and talk to real people already know? According to a new CBS News/New York Times survey, three in four people believe the current Supreme Court justices let their personal opinions affect their decisions and even fewer said the justices decide cases based on legal analysis alone.

Opinions about Congress were just as strong with just 15 percent of respondents approving of the job Congress is doing. And if you think those numbers are bleak, know that they are actually an improvement from February’s results which found that just 10 percent of people approved of Congress’ performance.

It feels as if people are growing increasingly dissatisfied with the way that Washington is conducting business. From the debt ceiling debacle to assaults on affirmative action, it appears that a general sense of displeasure is growing among the electorate. People are struggling to take care of their families and a consensus is materializing that it places more and more of the blame on our political leaders.

Partisanship is a lethal weapon nowadays and compromise is seemingly viewed as an expletive. All of the bickering, and wrangling have become so enmeshed in the fabric of politics that people are reaching their breaking point. So while it’s interesting to see a survey about the pulse of the people, what we really need is a culture shift in Washington. That’s the study I’m ready to see.