The Affordable Care Act and the Rumor Mill

I was puzzled by the sudden spike in coverage earlier this week, both here and elsewhere, on how to spin various possible outcomes of the Affordable Care Act litigation (and how the other side was trying to spin them). It may just be a coincidence, of course, but a story from National Journal made me wonder if it might explain the spike:

Rumors were flying around the Capitol this week that the Supreme Court would decide the health care cases on Thursday. They were wrong.

Hill staffers, Health and Human Services Department employees, and think-tankers were all abuzz on Wednesday with speculation that the Supreme Court of the United States might issue its opinion on the Affordable Care Act case on Thursday, a month sooner than most court-watchers predict. . . .

[Although the rumors were incorrect,] it was tough for people who cared about the case to ignore the rumors entirely, despite their implausibility. And the Court’s press office, which does not comment on cases, was unable to deny it. Many government staffers and reporters were on edge. A survey at Scotusblog’s live blog announcing Thursday’s decisions showed that more than a third of people watching were there only because they thought the health care case would land.

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