“The world is my country,
all mankind are my brethren,
and to do good is my religion.”
― Thomas Paine

No fair Clara taking my parking spot! lmao!

After this week in politics I have NO idea how we will able to top it next week!

2 for 2 with the SCOTUS & the right wingers crying in their tea!

As always, thanks to Mark & Domenico, two of the hardest working journalists on the web! Your efforts to keep us up to date on the latest is much appreciated!

First toast at the Dew Drop Inn today will be to the Lion of the Senate - Teddy Kennedy who without a doubt his Irish eyes are smiling down upon all of us!

Second toast it the our wonderful President who had the courage to go against the naysayers & keep his promise to the American people with getting HCR passed!

See ya soon gang!

Feisty,...damn the gremlins! I had the best post and it zapped it!

I was also celebrating Independence Day and the fact that I got the 2nd Annual Meetup of the Dew Drop Inn scheduled. Vegas won't know what hit them!

Black Eyed Peas & Katy Perry (Firework) are blaring from the jukebox line up!

Ahh yes, ACA is ESTABLISHED LAW,...Good luck striking that one down, Willard. Do you think we should offer him a Crash Civics course? Me no thinky he get that done on 'Day 1". lol

Almost forgot Jody, this one is for you!

I gotta a feeling tonights gonna be a good night too! ☺

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSD4vsh1zDA&feature=player_detailpage

WTF?

Damn gremlins just ate my entire comment!

Alright, let's try this again...

Given the events of this past week I think it's going to be kind of tough to top it next week!

As always, Mark & Domenico efforts to keep us posted on the very latest in politics is much appreciated! Two of the hardest working guys on the web!

First toast tonight at the Dew Drop Inn will be to the Lion of the Senate - Teddy Kennedy whose Irish eyes are smiling down upon all of us!

Second toast is to President Obama, who had the courage to go against all the naysayers & deliver on his promise to take on HCR... something no other President has accomplished in almost 100 years!

Cheers!

See ya'll soon!

Feisty,...damn the gremlins! I had the best post and it zapped it!

Tell me about it! You would think they would toss the little bastards a bone now & then! lol

I got the 2nd Annual Meetup of the Dew Drop Inn scheduled. Vegas won't know what hit them!

HAHAHA!

If you thought we tore up St. Louis - Vegas will be EPIC!

I can't wait to see all my LRU friends again!

Can't we get an exorcist for the Gremlins??? Seems like the right thing to do! I keep getting that darned "Bubblegum" thing!

Feisty, I thought Mark and Domenico's work this week on First Read was exceptional. So much news happening minute by minute.

Cheers to Mark and Domenico. Enjoy your 4th. It's such a celebratory holiday.

One more for the old jukebox - no one does America the Beautiful like Ray Charles;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRUjr8EVgBg&feature=player_detailpage

In honor of the upcoming remembrance of the birth of our great nation!

I thought Mark and Domenico's work this week on First Read was exceptional.

Same here Pat!

It's what makes us old-timers keep coming back!

Happy 4th to you as well my dear friend!

Happy Friday All!

So much for Washington gridlock, you had Roberts vote left and 17 democrats think WithHolder should be in shackles!

The Lion of the Senate, Ted Kennedy, is still smiling today. President Barack Obama kept his promise to Senator Kennedy, that he would get health care reform passed. Easy to forget that promise was made and kept. Thanks to Chief Justice John Roberts, ACA is Constitutional. Roberts did what justices are supposed to do, look for the constitutionality of the law regardless of the arguments made for/against said law.

"If the democrats run for cover, if we become pale carbon copies of the opposition, we will lose--and deserve to lose. The last thing this country needs is two republican parties." 1980.

"And this November the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans, so with Barack Obama and for you and for me, our country will be committed to his cause. The work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on." August 25, 2008.

At the DDI this evening: A toast to Senator Ted Kennedy who spent his entire life fighting for health care, for the poor and middle class. A toast to President Obama who took Kennedy's health care dream to fulfullment and continues his fight for the poor and middle class. A toast to Chief Justice John Roberts who did the right and moral thing.

Nicely said Jody.

Cheers to all who helped in the progress of America, which includes not just the politicians, but we the people who fought alongside them to see progress move forward.

So many names we will never know who worked behind the scenes for decades to see this legislation come to pass.

Roberts just handed you all a sh&t sandwich and you all say yum!

Fools!

Rob,

[17 democrats think Holder should be in shackles!]

After the NRA tampered with the jury !!

Yeh Rob and you had a 100 walk out rather than take part in that farce. Who do you think is going to get my vote. Somebody that stands for whats Right or somebody that bows down to the Chickensh!t NRA. Remember I'm Independent and can vote for either party or persuasion.

Definitely Gremlins, darn things froze up FR and I had to start all over.

Thanks, Feisty, been humming that one for two days.

Yeh Rob and you had a 100 walk out rather than take part in that farce

Same exact crowd that LIED about being spit upon when the piece crap law got voted on as I recall. The country would be so much better off if they just kept walking and never went back!

Interesting point running around the right-wing blogs right now. If PPACA includes a tax raising component as defined by the chief justice, then it should have originated in the House of Representatives to be constitutional. It seems it didn't because the House accepted the Senate version as after the election of Scott Brown and they could no longer defeat the filibuster.

Irrelevant but interesting argument.

Thank you, Pat.

As for Rob, I'd say more like 17 cowards who joined the republican cowards out of fear of the NRA giving them a downgrade. Nothing like blackmail to give democracy a kick in the rear. I prefer to cheer the 100 who walked out on the Kangaroo GOP and called Issa's witch hunt what it was.

Happy Friday All!

Same to you Bayllie - I keep forgetting to tell you - I ♥ your new avatar!

Feisty, Clara: Now you two have gone and done it! ; ) The rwnj's heads will pop off if they know that there is another gathering of LIBS! Let the conspiracy theories begin!

Should hear from bulletstopper (and we all know who HE is) any moment!

The rwnj's heads will pop off if they know that there is another gathering of LIBS!

LOL NDD!

Who can ever forget Snookie-Jo demanding we Skype our round-table discussion with our guest speaker! lol

Wow, did you all just hear what Martin Bashir said?

Mitt Romney will only talk to those who pay him thousands of dollars.

What a joy watching Martin since I'm home today. How I wish he was on in the evenings. He has without a doubt the best daytime program on MSNBC.

Now that ACA, aka ObamaCare, has been ruled Constitutional, when will Rush Limbaugh be leaving for Costa Rico? He threatened it two years ago and we're still stuck with the wind bag.

What a week now I am on my way over to the DDI to join in the toast to the man who made Universal Health Care his life's work. Ted Kennedy was truly a giant among men.

Thank you Mark and Domenico great work this week, have a great weekend and a sparkling Fourth of July.

Looking forward to Vegas and renewing old friendships and also making new ones too with those who couldn't make it to STL.

Everyone have a great weekend, try to stay cool, or better yet come on down where its not so hot and we have ocean breezes.

"Yes, we are all Americans. This is what we do. We reach the moon. We scale the heights. I know it. I've seen it. I've lived it. And we can do it again."

Edward Kennedy--Democratic National Convention, August 2008

and we did, yes we can!!!!!

No kidding Feisty: you'd think no jo could once in her life come up with her own idea and implement it, and not demand access to what LIBS do.

I double dare David Gregory to mention the Fortune Magazine expose of the swiftboating of Eric Holder over Fast and Furious this Sunday.

If David Gregory brings up this investigative piece on Meet The Press I PROMISE to stop bashing that show in this blog. I PROMISE.

http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/27/fast-and-furious-truth/

GBM: that is another of my favorite quotes.

Thanks for the reminder, Jo, Limbaugh is in a rush to Costa Rica, that selfish SOB wanted to enjoy universal healthcare available there (in Costa Rica) after he had attacked it here with other Repugnants making universal healthcare impossible here at this moment.

But some have argued that the ACA has in itself clauses that can make it sneak into universal care.

Rob in Mass - the only fool on this site is you - and you prove it daily!

sandwich and you all say yum!

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum!!

The reference to the novel Moby Dick and the Supreme Court decision was very funny.

READ THE WHOLE THING before assuming.

This here one is for my friend Newday

Well it’s
coming up on that time of the week. I don’t know about you’ll folks but I’m
about wore out. But as usual we’ve all had a good time. Giggled a little at
each other. Tweaked each other a mite. Had to rub on a bruise or two. Don’t
look like no permanent harm has befallen anybody. So before I slide on out the
door down to the Dew Drop Inn to make sure the Juke Box has gotten refilled
with all the latest requests and we’ve got that extra bartender to make sure
that everybody gets their favorites just right I want to pass on a thought or
two.

Now ranking right up there with Christmas the Fourth of July
is about my favorite holiday. Guess it stems from my early days down in
Carolina when everybody had a week’s vacation whether they wanted it or not.
Yep that’s right folks back in the day all the mills and furniture factory’s
shut down for a week at Christmas and Fourth of July and off we all went to the
beach or the mountains depending on your predilection. Course that was better
than back in West-by-God West Virginia where the Coal companies didn’t give you
any time of at all. Just worked a fellow to death and thru him aside when he
was all used up. Sometimes I think that our Republican brethren want to bring
those bad old days back.

So needless to say this is a BIG weekend down at the Dew
Drop Inn full of God, Mother and Apple Pie. Now for the God part we’ve done
collected every Preacher Man, Imam, Rabbi, Tibetan Monk and Spirit Warrior
around to call down the blessings of the house. All except the Baptists. All of
the denizens of the Dew Drop Inn are Godless Heathens according to them. So
screw ‘em if they can’t take a joke we’re going to have a good time anyway.

Then there’s the Apple Pie part. Now for desert at every
cook-out, cook-in and cook around we got Apple pie. Made from every kind of
Apple that you can think of from Granny Smith to Golden Delicious with the
exception of Horse Apples. Got French Apple, Dutch Apple, Apple Crumb and plain
old ‘Merican Apple. We got Ice Cream, Blueberries, Strawberries and just about
everything else that don’t creep or crawl to go on it. Or you can have it plain
and unadulterated. You just live like you want to live there Bunky.

Now as far as Mother’s go we got them all. We’ve got long
ones and short ones and weight-challenged ones and skinny ones. If you’ve lost
your Mom or simply don't like what the good Lord gave you then feel free to borrow
one of ours. Plenty to go around. Over at the Comeback Inn Mother’s and our
Wounded Warriors stay free all weekend.

As always my thanks and appreciation to our hosts for their
time, giving me a little place to stand, a subject to comment on, a forum to
put it in, and their indulgence when I don’t quite get it right or get a little
off subject. I purely do appreciate it. Hope you’ll have a fine weekend and
good fun among folks that you know and love. To my fellow participants keep
well, keep safe, and keep the faith. We’ll make it. See you’ll next week

Barkeep set everybody up a round somebody throw a Quarter in
the music machine and let’s get this little shindig started before the RH ex ST
figures out where me and old Hi-Tech are at and drags us back up on the Hill.

Christopher Reeve

So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and
then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.

Great last quote there Independent. So true. Happy 4th to you and everybody in the United States of America. It is up to us to keep progress moving. President Obama is doing just that. Mitt is relying on old ads from another election. Story of his life. Unless you call elevators for cars progress.

IR- okay the last quote brought me to tears. What an incredible man!

And, the Carolina talk was great. Grew up in North Carolina and it all sounds familiar! Have a great time at the DDI and raise one for me. Miss NC at times!

Happy 4th to Everyone and please play safe!

Pat it kind of goes with another old favorite of mine. " Its hard to stop a Man that knows he's right and keeps on a'comin" Davy Crockett.

Sanity You ain't been to heaven till you've had N.C. Barbeque down at Frosties in Reidsville. Only thing I miss (well almost) about moving back to Va. I have to make a run down there once or twice a year.

And Independent, to quote one of my favorite singers, Dean Martin -

Keep those cards and letters (quotes) coming!

PS. Pulled Pork on the barbie! Oh, and you aren't on FB, IR; but I made this very American Fruit Pizza this week with the strawberries laid out in flag stripes and the blueberries all crowded up in the corner. It tasted as good as it looked.

I was going to make the raspberry pretzel jello last night; but the heat took it out of me, so I passed. I am trying to figure out which one to take to the BBQ on the 4th!

IR: you know how much I LOVE your week end wrap ups. Thank you my good friend, you have made my whole week with this! This is one mom that is headed over to the Dew Drop Inn right now! And I think I will park at the Comeback Inn, we should have quite the celebration this day!

What oh what have we learned? Well. We learned that President Obama had a doggone good week. We also learned, or we should have that the Individual Mandate started with the Heritage Foundation in 1989. And at that time, some of the folks that are so against it, were for it, making us all dizzy. The funny part is, that those advocates in '89, simply were not worried about the Constitutionality of the law, they just wanted to show Bill and Hillary what's what, and obstruct then as they are now. Who were those advocates, you may well ask? Orrin Hatch (R UT) Bennett (R UT) Grassley (R. IA) and Bond (R. MO) (Source: Pro Con. org). Now I am hoping that one of our fine journalists can ask these gentleman what the heck they are thinking, and aren't they just the least bit embarrassed to do all this hooting and hollering over something that they liked a bunch in the 80's?

We did have a pretty good time yesterday poking at the right wingers brave enough to show up, but you have to give them full credit for coming. Had to be a difficult day for all of you, but you know how it goes. Win a few, lose a few, and you hope that people can come together and do the right thing for those that need a little hand up along the way. The right wing should be pretty pleased, after all, they like talking about personal responsibility, and this bill does make people take action to get some insurance. Sure to benefit all, when the costs of health care are more fairly distributed.

Mark, Domenico: Thanks for a great and interesting week, but I'll you something, you need to get on the powers that be and fix this site so the gremlins go away. It is a mess just now, and I hope you can do something about it.

Joining my friends in a toast to Ted Kennedy. The old Lion is proud just now, and probably singing a chorus of "When Irish Eyes are Smiling." We are with you in spirit, Ted.

To honor Ted this day, I remind all of you of a quote from his speech at the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 26, 2008. I went looking for this quote, and found it On the Issues, on line:

For me, this is a season of hope, new hope for a justice and fair prosperity for the many and not just for the few, new hope. And this is the cause of my life, new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American, north, south, east, west, young, old--will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege.

President Obama has taken a HUGE step in making that dream a reality!

Ted, slainte!

IR, Feisty, Clara, headed your way, with a smile on my face, both from IR's post, and this week! See you all there.

Have a good weekend everyone!

The week ahead can't be as good as the week that ended. Well maybe it will. I'll be having a few days off next week.

IR and Seeking your comments prodded me to comment. Only been to NC once. Had a construction meeting for a project we were overseeing. Flew out of DFW to Raleigh Durham and had to find my way to Asheboro, NC. Nice drive through a state highway and winding hills. Quaint little place was in and out in a day (a very long day) though, so couldn't explore much. Country looked really nice.

Have a good 4th all.

Mark and Domenico - thanks for the reporting this week - you earned your pay!!! To all (hosts, DDIers, non-DDIers alike), Happy early 4th and enjoy your celebrations of the red/white/blue over the weekend.

Mark I know that little trip well. Spent 20 or 30 years back and forth between Greensboro and here on the Hill. There's a reason that N.C. is known as the Rose between two thorns of hubris. (Va. and South Carolina). Good people down there until you go Down East. They were infected with Old Jesse Helms itis and never recovered thier Sanity.

Excellent way to end the week, IR, perfect quote from Christopher Reeves. Another fine wrap from you, too, newdayDawning.

Thanks to our FR hosts for keeping us informed AND an extra big thanks to MSNBC for getting the SCOTUS ruling right the first time. Pete Williams gets a big round of applause for his efforts and if he's inclined, drinks are on the house at the DDI! That goes for our FR hosts, too.

Have a great weekend! Happy July 4th, Mark, and to all who are planning extended time off next week!

NDD, gremlins again--you posted another favorite Ted Kennedy quote of mine.

IR - you better be serious about the apple pie at DDI!!!! See you all there and put in "Cry me a River" for the Weeper of the House!

Jody: it is getting harder and harder to get a post up, isn't it?

Great work there IR and NDD, I feel fortunate to call you friends and when I can sit and talk, listen to some good music, have a few giggles with all our friends, it truly is heaven on earth.

Have a good safe weekend, and if traveling be safe.

GBM: what would we be without your warmth, wit and wisdom?

IR - Absolutely LOVE NC BBQ - we just had a place open in Chicago that actually does a decent rendition - not totally NC but darned close. I sooooo miss the good stuff. Whenever I go to NC I bring back lots and freeze it! Not as good as fresh but better than nothing!

Enjoy the weekend!

Much obliged, Scarecrow!

See there I had a bad case of them Gremlins my own self

IR, I am bringing the makings for frosties. Not sure if they are the ones you have had, but I make them for Fourth of July every year. Will bring the Ice Cream Maker along.

Concern Citizen - Wanted to thank you that even though you disagreed with the ruling, I noted that you didn't holler and rant. You are right though, "sometimes you win sometimes you loose". I think ultimately the ACA if improved or kept as is will be a win for America. Looking long term here.

Some folks did hit with you some undeserved comments. You are right the ruling can well energize the Repub base - Angry Giant. That remains to be seen.

In parting, however, "Even a giant can be toppled by a single stone". I figure that a lot of us little people will vote to make sure that the angry giant is sent back to sleep.

Obama 2012 :}

Concerned I'd like to echo Northstar's Invite down below. That's what the DDI on Friday is for. I find it very telling that Our Legislators used to get together for drinks on Friday then and now can't even be in the same room together. If a man teaches himself to hate that much how is he going to do the job that he needs to do. By the same token if you can't drop your discomfort long enough to have a beer and celebrate the Fourth of July how are you going to have a coherent conversation. First Drink is on me.

Independent Redneck Va. , Yellowdog-Mark D , NorthstarDFL

Much appreciated. and we can all agree to disagree. You all know who are the nasty people, we are all smart enough to see. I must warn you that like you I will not change my mind and I'm still voting Romney in 2012. I do not dislike the president but I do dislike what he is pushing and what I belive he stands for.

You all have a great weekend and stay safe.

That's okay Concerned just so's you know that the invite is there. I'll kind of look at you for Friday purposes along the lines of an old Willie Nelson song. " he ain't wrong he's just different"

It's like this Concern, the press travels with both candidates; always has, always will. As Mark noted, you get credit, just like Frank "Grimey" Grimes, you didn't holler and rant when your side lost. IR invited you to the DDI, take him up on it, you'll be surprised to find that liberals are nice people; we are not radioactive.

First Read is neither a conservative nor a liberal site contrary to those who claim otherwise. It reports politics, good and bad, for both sides. Some weeks, one side or the other makes more political news, good and bad. It is also the only place where there is, for the most part, real discussion and debate. While I may not agree with Albany Joe, Fairfax Bill, Alan NJ, and a few others, they write thoughtful comments and the back and forth between them and liberal posters has been going on for a long time. It's what we do here, argue politics with people who enjoy politics and the arguing.

As for awakening the sleeping giant, it is the liberal giant that has awakened.

But, here is the caveat: Concern likes to complain about how she is treated on FR. The problem is that she feels free to attack others, and cry foul when it is returned in kind.

Want to be welcomed here Concern, and not be attacked? Cure your own behavior, and edit your posts for accuracy.

But don't whine about attacks when that is about all you post.

But, here is the caveat: Concern likes to complain about how she is treated on FR.

@NDD - Yeah, I'm a little fed up with the pity party from CC. When you call out the bull, the poor thing runs to the corner screaming "racist".

Yeah, I'm a little fed up with the pity party from CC.

You can count me in as well!

She lobs spit-balls from the cheap-seats then screams foul when someone calls her out on it!

Not to mention her spelling & grammar gives me a freakin migraine trying to dechiper her hot mess!

Hi RedDev and Feisty: Exactly, thought about letting that go, but am fed up with the whinging.

Concern: Own your behavior and fix it.

Absolutely, Northstar: hope the weather is as nice where you are as it is here!

NorthstarDFL

Happy 4th of July to you also. Will take a rain check on the invite and I also hope we can move forward without some of the nasty insults from both sides.

Let's see what next week brings.

PS. Some of my best friends are Libs.

concern Citizen

"PS. Some of my best friends are Libs."

I sure they will buy you a drink this weekend. LOL

I have a few Republicans in my family tree. but then again they are from Minnesota and wolud be considered liberal beyond the state line..

We can disagree about policy and still have lots in common for the good of the whole country.

Cheers.

@NDD,

The weather is hot , the sky blue and it is the weekend!!!

Of course those Americans have been "snakebit" by people like Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck, as well as Fox "news" who keep lying about what the bill contains.