Rick Santorum made what sounds like a perfunctory visit to the steps of the Supreme Court to get photographed and quoted criticizing Mitt Romney and the Affordable Health Care Act. "There is one candidate who is uniquely disqualified. That's why I'm here and he's not," Santorum said about Romney, according to the only quote in USA Today's four-paragraph account of the impromptu campaign cameo. "He is the worst candidate to go up against Barack Obama." According to Talking Points Memo reporter Evan McMorris-Santoro's Twitter, a group of health care law supporters "tried briefly to drown out Santorum with 'ACA is here to stay' chant" when he rolled up, but the candidate managed to get his quotes in. "Santorum takes a few Qs and rolls out with his secret service detail in several SUVs," McMorris-Santo tweeted.

But Santorum was just one attraction in a sideshow on the sidewalk in front of the court as demonstrators on both sides of the issue made noise and vied to get their messages out. About two dozen doctors in white coats "spoke to reporters from the steps of the court, describing how their patients would be helped if the high court upholds the law meant to bring insurance coverage to almost every America," the Associated Press reported. Tea-Party-aligned opponents, meanwhile, waved "don't tread on me" flags and some brought up Sandra Fluke as an example of the need to individualize health care.

Many more outside the court earlier Monday were waiting for admission to go hear the arguments. In the end, the press outnumbered the citizenry, tweeted CNN's Lisa Desjardins: "HOT TICKETS - who got em?: Supreme Court official tells CNN 110 mems of the public got tix for all arguments; 117 mems of press."

[Inset photo via Jwescottphoto / Instagram]

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Adam Martin