Oops! CNN, Fox News Say Individual Mandate is Unconstitutional [VIDEO]

Well, thank the gods that journalists aren’t judges since both Fox News and CNN concluded Thursday that the healthcare mandate was unconstitutional after reading only a few lines of Chief Justice John Roberts’ opinion. Because, you know, reading is hard and it takes waaaaaay too long to do. So why not skip it altogether and come up with their own interpretation?

Here’s some highlights from their on-the-spot coverage taken from the video below:

“We have breaking news here on the Fox News Channel; the individual mandate has been ruled unconstitutional.” – Bill Hemmer, Fox News

“I want to bring you the breaking news that according to producer Bill Mears the individual mandate is not a valid exercise of the commerce clause. So it appears as if the Supreme Court justices have struck down the individual mandate.” Kate Baldwin, CNN

“He says the individual mandate cannot be sustained under Congress’ power to regulate commerce. That means the mandate is gone.” Shannon Bream, Fox News

“Wow, that’s a dramatic moment if in fact the Supreme Court has in fact ruled that the individual mandate is in fact unconstitutional.” – Wolf Blitzer, CNN

Wow! You’re right, Wolf! Except that you’re wrong. It would be a dramatic moment if in fact the Supreme Court had in fact ruled that the individual mandate was in fact unconstitutional. But in fact they didn’t. It is in fact totally constitutional.

So next time, finish reading the opinion BEFORE you panic trying to beat out the other networks by racing down the hall with the footage, sliding under the file drawer, leaping over the baby, crashing into the drinking fountain, and hobbling up the steps to make it to the control room in time to get it wrong anyway.

So who was this ruling a win for in the end? Well, not for Fox News or CNN, that’s for sure.