JEFF JACOBY: Employers Are Not Immigration Officers. I don't buy the 'slippery slope' argument (if the government can force an employer to do 'X', then can they not force the employer to do 'Y' as well?), but I can appreciate the mandate part -- we don't have self-service gas stations because I want to pump my own gas, we have them because the seller wants to minimize his own cost by having me do part of the work.

I would also add one point Jacoby neglected: removing the employer mandate also removes at least part of the justification for some kind of national identity database/card. And that I find very desirable indeed.