Crossposted at HCAN's blog.

Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says it is OK to break the law as long as you think there won’t be any penalties.

At a meeting this week of Republican state attorneys general, most said they would implement the Affordable Care Act, albeit grudgingly, if the Supreme Court upholds it. Even Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is leading the legal attack on the Affordable Care Act, said, “If the law is upheld, we will do what we have to do as states to comply with the law.”

Not so for Cuccinelli. In an interview on Politico Pro (subscription required) Cuccinelli said:

“It’s not like there’s criminal penalties out there — it becomes a power struggle.”

Cuccinelli has been one of the most vocal opponents of health reform and the idea that Obama is a citizen, among other things. His solo attempt to stop implementation of the law was denied by a federal court, so maybe he’s just trying to ensure he gets more attention.

Cuccinell’s threat to not obey a federal law is only the latest of many examples of how far Republicans are willing to go to ensure massive profits for private health insurance companies at the expense of people’s lives.

So the question comes down to this: if there are no criminal penalties for persons who simply don’t wish to abide by the law, is that excuse enough to break those laws? The top law enforcement official of the state of Virginia should know better.