Obama saw incorrect report of Supreme Court decision on TV
President Obama had a brief scare this morning.
When he first heard the Supreme Court's decision on Thursday, he thought his landmark health care legislation had been struck down.
Watching cable news coverage just outside the Oval Office, advisors said he had a quizzical look on his face reading TV captions that said the individual mandate had been invalidated.
Mr. Obama quickly got the correct report on the 5-4 ruling to uphold the mandate from his White House Counsel. Kathy Ruemmler gave the president two thumbs up and told him- that despite cable news reports- his landmark legislation had been upheld.
Watch CBS News' special report in the video to the left.
The president's advisers said there was a period of "cognitive dissonance" between what aired on cable TV and information Ruemmler received from a White House lawyer at the Supreme Court.
Relieved, Mr. Obama hugged Ruemmler and congratulated White House advisers.
The president learned of the Court's ruling at the same time as the general public, at the moment when decisions were released, and had no prior or insider information on the ruling.
