RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli first had a strong, negative reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision upholding President Barack Obama's health care law. He said it was "a dark day for American liberty."
A few hours later, after having read the opinions, he cast a more partly-sunny outlook and in fact praised two parts of the opinion.
Even though the High Court ruled the individual mandate constitutional because the penalty is considered a tax, Cuccinelli said he was "ecstatic" the Court agreed with him that the penalty itself as unconstitutional under the Commerce clause.
He said it means that the federal government could never force citizens to buy something, no matter what it is.
Cuccinelli was also pleased the justices threw out the portion of the law that would have allowed the federal government to take away current Medicaid money if a state did not expand it's Medicaid coverage.
The Attorney General said he still thinks the law needs to be repealed and will work with fellow Republicans to help Congress do that and find a better solutions for health care reform.