Tish James speaking at the rally.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Come, come, ready?" Councilwoman Tish James hurriedly exclaimed when we started to ask her about today's Supreme Court ruling on health care reform before a rally celebrating the vote on living wage legislation coming later today.

"So, today I like Roberts. I'm happy that the mandate was upheld. This is a great day for democracy, it's a great day for the budget, it's a great day for childcare and after school programs," she answered. "So, overall, today's a proud day!"

"It's a good day. It's a good day," Stuart Appelbaum, the president of the RWDSU, agreed when asked the same question. "We're doing living wage in New York and the Supreme Court agreed with the Obama administration on health care reform."

The rally for living wage thus proceeded in a jubilant mood. The votes to override Mayor Michael Bloomberg's veto have already been assembled and the outcome of today's City Council session already determined.

"Today is a great day of course, with what happened with the Supreme Court in Washington, a very important day for people of modest means throughout the country," Councilman Oliver Koppell said in front of the rallying advocates. "And what we're doing today is a movement in the same direction to try and ensure that ... there is at least a little bit of justice between those who have modest means and those who have wealth and power."

For her part, Ms. James spoke like a preacher when her turn came to stand in front of the podium.

"So I hold up this tattered and torn will of the people, because it represents their tattered lives!" she declared, displaying a ripped sign containing advocates' signatures. "Those who have been living under the weight of poverty wages, this is symbolic of their lives. ... Today, we stand up for justice! Today, justice rains down!"

(Photo: Twitter)

The National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm of the House Republicans, has been relentlessly focused on tying President Barack Obama's health care reform legislation around the necks of at least two Democrats in recent weeks: Long Island Congressman Tim Bishop and Staten Island challenger Mark Murphy.

Since March 14th, the NRCC sent The Politicker no less than 13 press releases attacking the two Democrats on the issue with headlines such as "Bishop is Responsible for ObamaCare’s Broken Promises" and "With Obama in Hiding, Will Murphy Help House Dems Defend Government Healthcare Takeover?"

Most recently, the NRCC blasted out a statement connecting Mr. Murphy to the Supreme Court hearing oral arguments on a case against the bill today.

“With the government takeover of healthcare having its day in court today, Mark Murphy should say whether he will join his fellow House Democrats who have been the biggest cheerleaders for their deeply unpopular law,” the organization's communications director, Paul Lindsay, said in a statement. “Murphy's Washington Democrat allies this year are proudly advocating for the Democrats’ healthcare takeover in spite of its soaring price tag, rising premiums and numerous families being forced off their healthcare plans.”

A similar statement against Mr. Bishop, who actually voted for the legislation, was also sent out, arguing, “Bishop is now stuck with the task of advocating for the Democrats’ healthcare takeover in spite of its soaring price tag, rising premiums and numerous families being forced off their healthcare plans.”

The "Obamacare" issue was considered successful in motivating Republicans to turn out in their sweeping 2010 electoral victories, and the NRCC clearly hopes conservatives will remain similarly energized over the issue two years later.