Benjamin Sarlin is the Washington correspondent for The Daily Beast and edits the site's politics blog, Beltway Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.

A judge shut down the crux of health-care reform on Monday, threatening its legal viability—but many Democrats saw this day coming long ago. Benjy Sarlin on the individual mandate’s contentious origins.

A judge's ruling that provisions in the Democrats' landmark health-care law requiring individuals to purchase insurance are unconstitutional is sparking...]]>