Full-court press

IT WAS 9.30am and the Supreme Court was packed. The day before, the court had heard arguments on a procedural issue—whether the suit challenging Barack Obama's health-care law should be postponed. But on March 27th the court was to consider the heart of the case. Is the law's “individual mandate”, a requirement that everyone buy health insurance, constitutional or not? The answer is crucial to Mr Obama's fortunes and much more. Uphold the requirement, Democrats predict, and American health care will be transformed. Republicans say that forcing people to buy something they may not want is a huge extension of federal power and a savage blow to individual liberty.

Those hoping for a seat to watch the event had queued overnight, even as a cold spell threatened the city's cherry blossoms. Most spots had long been claimed by bureaucrats and politicians. Reporters sat shoulder-to-shoulder in three tight rows against a wall. At last the nine justices entered. For the next two hours Mr Obama's law endured its most withering assault yet.