Obamacare ruling, explained

In Plain English: The Affordable Care Act, including its individual mandate that virtually all Americans buy health insurance, is constitutional. There were not five votes to uphold it on the ground that Congress could use its power to regulate commerce between the states to require everyone to buy health insurance. However, five Justices agreed that the penalty that someone must pay if he refuses to buy insurance is a kind of tax that Congress can impose using its taxing power. That is all that matters. Because the mandate survives, the Court did not need to decide what other parts of the statute were constitutional, except for a provision that required states to comply with new eligibility requirements for Medicaid or risk losing their funding. On that question, the Court held that the provision is constitutional as long as states would only lose new funds if they didn’t comply with the new requirements, rather than all of their funding.


I am the God of Lies and Mischief

…or so says my Sun Media colleague Lorrie Goldstein:

“Obviously my QMI colleague Warren Kinsella, the Prince Loki of Liberalism, intuitively understands this, which is why he’s been pushing a Trudeau candidacy.

Based on the Abacus poll of 1,008 adults from June 20-23, it’s not hard to see why.”

Nice. Thanks, Lorrie. You and Bono are the Jabba the Hut and Snidely Whiplash of Conservatism, respectively, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Goldstein – who, like all Rightist Sun pundits, is completely obsessed with my good looks, superior intellect and much larger paycheque, and can’t stop writing about me – got it right on my abs, however. This is what they look like, girls. Washboard city. Swear.


Justin’s decision

The best thing about this story is that it’s in the Caledon Citizen. Take that, Parliamentary Press Gallery!

Okay, Reformatory and Dipper commenters, start posting dozens of over-the-top remarks about how Justin doesn’t worry you at all, not at all, and how you are simply genuinely worried for Grits who favour Justin. Go!


The Hives: Go Right Ahead

From the Swedish mop tops’ latest waxing.  Saw ’em last night, for about the hundredth time.  They’re still the best live performers in rock’n’roll.  Why they aren’t bigger than the Stones is beyond me.