Maybe John Schnatter, the CEO of pizza chain Papa John's, was embracing transparency when he said the Affordable Care Act will force his company to raise prices – or maybe he was making an overt political statement.

Either way, his comments did little good for his company, other than making it the latest fast-food chain to take a side in the country's polarized political climate. 

Schnatter said that the healthcare law, which will go into effect in 2014, will “cost ...