It’s over. The U.S. Supreme Court signed off on the PatientProtection and Affordable Care Act.

But in a twist ripped from the pages of a “Law & Order”script, the Supremes ruled the mandate out of bounds whileendorsing the Congressional authority over taxation.

The sudden reclassification not only confused a couple of majornews networks, but both presidential camps, who still wrestle withthe syntax. Look for this war over words to last the rest of thecampaign. But as distressing as this ruling might be for all of us,I’m much more concerned about the bigger picture and the historicalintegrity of the Court itself.

I know it’s why Chief Justice John Roberts flipped at the lastminute and backed the liberal majority. He knew this ruling was asmuch about the Court itself as anything – or anyone – else. Andwhile his last-minute conversion is certainly curious – if notoutright suspect – I certaintly respect his ability to lookbeyond politics.

But what bothers me even more than the legal game of TwisterRoberts played to get from Point A to Point B back to A again isthe steady stream of unnamed sources running their mouths aboutwhat went on in chambers over the last several months. So now eventhe Supreme Court has leaks?

Is nothing sacred anymore?

I know this sounds odd coming from a journalist – I should beeating this up, right? – but all those stories that trickled outafter the ruling made me sick to my stomach.

Maybe it was the middle school, gossipy vibe of the tales of theother conservatives “not talking” to Roberts now. Or the pedestriantone of the bit about the chief justice writing most of both themajority and dissenting opinions.

Or maybe it was my own loss of innocence at watching the lastfederal branch fall from above the fray into the muddy pit ofpolitical hyper-partisanship with the rest of us.

Call me a civics geek or historical sentimentalist, but it’skind of heartbreaking.

I feel like a kid whose childhood hero just got busted in ahooker ring or payola scheme. So they’re really just like the restof us, huh? The Court’s always been almost sacrosanct, but now itlooks like they’re as shallow and self-serving as everyoneelse in the Beltwaty. Trust me.

I don’t need one more reminder of our perpetual news cycle, anaudience that never sleeps and social media that passes forjournalism. The media beast needs to be fed. And it’s never enough.I guess I just thought some things remained beyond the reach of thegossip pages of The Huffington Post.