Did We Just Witness Judge Roberts Fall on his Sword to Preserve the Stature of the Supreme Court?

After listening to a multitude of pundits and a cursory reading of the opinion I am left with the opinion that Judge Roberts fell on his sword in an attempt to preserve the stature of the court. However honorable this effort make look to some I am convinced that his actions reflect his overriding concern about the public’s opinion of the court rather than the responsibility the judiciary has to the law. In a perfect world we would have a sense of closure after this decision. In a less perfect world we would have at least a sense that there some common ground that our politicians could work with to cobble a consensus. Instead we are left with a new gapping tax hole that unravels the checks and balances our forefathers carefully crafted into the Constitution. So what should our legislators work on next, reforming the health care reform or close the new gaping tax hole? In one fell swoop he chose to change a law into a tax so that he could avoid overturning a law that was duly passed by the legislature. It is a poisoned cup of wine in we drink in which everyone loses.