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Roundtable: Health Care Reform, Mayor's Race, Padres Sale

Friday Roundtable: Health Care and Nathan Fletcher
Roundtable: Health Care Reform, Mayor's Race, Padres Sale
Today on the Roundtable, reporters discuss health care reform in the Supreme Court, the San Diego mayor's race and the troubled Padres sale. GUESTSKenny Goldberg, KPBS health reporter; Katie Orr, KPBS Metro reporter; Jay Paris, sports reporter at The North County Times.

The Supreme Court justices are expected to take their first vote today on the fate of health care reform passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama. At stake is insurance coverage for millions of Americans who are currently uninsured. The new law's mandate requiring people to carry health insurance or pay a penalty is under fire by conservatives and the decision by the ideologically-split court could be made by one justice.

Also, one candidate for San Diego mayor, state Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, is surrendering his party affiliation after years of being politically active as a Republican. Is this a values-driven decision as Fletcher insists, or was it motivated by political expediency?

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Plus, the San Diego Padres seem headed back to the future. With aspiring owner Jeff Moorad stepping out of the game, is longtime owner John Moores the past, present and future owner?

Healthcare law

Many political observers believe that the health care law, enacted as the affordable care act, is the centerpiece of the Obama administration. For millions without health insurance, it is supposed to protect them by requiring that everyone carry health insurance or pay a penalty. A recent Reuters poll found that 65 percent of respondents favored some kind of U.S. healthcare overhaul. Some 35 percent opposed the law. But the question before the Supreme Court is not popularity, it's legality.

Fletcher changes party

The race for San Diego mayor was going along rather predictably, with the polls showing a possible run-off between Republican City Councilman Carl DeMaio and Democratic Congressman Bob Filner. Two other Republicans, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, lagged behind. Then Wednesday morning, Fletcher dropped his Republican label.

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The Padres

Some good news for the Padres. They announced yesterday that next Thursday's season opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers is a virtual sellout. But leading up to this news is the strange story of who owns the Padres. We thought it was Jeff Moorad, who not only was preparing to be owner, but also took on the job of CEO. But that seems to have changed.