Happy Dependence Day!  — By: Mark Steyn  —  Well, it seems to be in the bag now.  I try to be a sunny the-glass-is-one-sixteenth-full kinda guy, but it's hard to overestimate the magnitude of what the Democrats have accomplished.  Whatever is in the bill is an intermediate stage …

Waterloo  —  Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.  —  It's hard to exaggerate the magnitude of the disaster.  Conservatives may cheer themselves that they'll compensate for today's expected vote with a big win in the November 2010 elections.

Legal and Political Fights Loom for Democrats  —  WASHINGTON — The battle over health care is poised to move swiftly from Congress back to the country as Democrats, Republicans and a battery of interest groups race to define the legislation and dig in for long-term political and legal fights.

Stupak called ‘baby killer’ in House  —  A health care debate marked by episodes of ugly rhetoric took another turn for the worse late Sunday night when a voice on the Republican side of the House shouted “baby killer” at Rep. Bart Stupak.  —  Stupak - a leader among anti-abortion Democrats …

Special Editorial: Repeal  —  The editors of National Review sensibly counsel conservatives, in the wake of last night's victory for Obamacare: “'Nil desperandum'—never despair.”  I agree, though I'm more inclined to the mock-Latin motto of the Harvard band: “Illegitimi non carborundum”—don't let the bastards get you down.

Paul Ryan Is Not Ready to Give Up on Health Care  —  'This is the closing of the first chapter of America's health-care saga," Rep. Paul Ryan says from his office, which is adorned with reminders of contests of the non-political kind: hunting mementos and a Green Bay Packers helmet. "

House roll call on healthcare bill: 34 Dems vote against  —  The roll call of the House's vote on the Senate's healthcare bill has been released, which includes the names of the 34 Democrats who voted against the bill.  —  In one of the most closely watched votes in history …

The Future After Health Care  —  Regardless of what you think about health care, tomorrow we wake up in a different political world.  —  Parties have passed legislation before that wasn't broadly publicly supported.  But the only substantial instances I can think of in America are budget bills and TARP …

How To Say It?  —  Well, here goes.  I really resent the term, but I use it because it's recognized and accepted.  —  I'm gay.  —  From some seventy years of personal experience, I can tell you that there's not much “gay” about being homosexual.  For the first twenty years of my life …

Shirley Eleanor Nash  —  Shirley Eleanor Nash, 93, died peacefully Thursday, March 11, 2010, at the Garden House in Morro Bay, her hand held, being told she was loved, her favorite Andres Segovia album was playing in the background, and her room was filled with flowers and cards from friends, family and the Marines.

Perspective  —  Now that it's done, Barack Obama will go down in history as one of America's finest presidents.  It's always possible of course that, like LBJ, he'll get involved in some unrelated fiasco that mars his reputation.  But fundamentally, he's reshaped the policy landscape …

Ten immediate benefits of HCR  —  Here are ten benefits which come online within six months of the President's signature on the health care bill:  — Adult children may remain as dependents on their parents' policy until their 27th birthday  — Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions

Romney: ‘Unconscionable abuse of power’  —  Extremely strong language from Mitt Romney, who the administration and his Republican rivals love to note gets some credit for the shape of the health care plan.  —  Now, Romney is positioning himself as a leader of the charge to repeal it:

Obama Pays More Than Buffett as U.S. Risks AAA Rating  —  The bond market is saying that it's safer to lend to Warren Buffett than Barack Obama.  —  Two-year notes sold by the billionaire's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in February yield 3.5 basis points less than Treasuries of similar maturity, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Has Germany just killed the dream of a European superstate?  —  So after weeks of Euro-bluff it looks ever more like an IMF rescue for Greece after all, and hence for any other eurozone nation driven to ruin by the wrong monetary policy.  —  German Chancellor Angela Merkel has little hope …