In a thoughtful, well-reasoned statement, Anderson Cooper came out as a proud gay man today, saying:
"Recently I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something - something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid.
"This is distressing because it is simply not true."
In response to the (not surprising) reveal, many celebrities have taken to Twitter and sent the CNN anchor their best wishes. A sampling is below:
Neil Patrick Harris: “Good for you, @AndersonCooper. You’re awesome.”
Jesse Tyler Ferguson: “One of the reasons I look up to my friend @andersoncooper is his amazing eloquence. Very proud of him!”
Ellen DeGeneres: “I’m proud of you, @AndersonCooper.”
LeAnn Rimes: “Rock on @AndersonCooper for being a brave, classy man. Much respect!”
Kelly Ripa: “So proud of you @andersoncooper . Always have been, always will be.”
Sara Bareilles: “I applaud @andersoncooper for being authentic and honest with the public. It helps others feel brave too.”
Joan Rivers: “Thrilled @AndersonCooper came out! So, THAT’S why he never wanted to date me! I would’ve loved having Gloria Vanderbilt as my mother-in-law.”
Mrs. Serbicki?s Creative Writing class is a must not only for those students interested in fiction and poetry, but for any student wanting to expand their writing horizons beyond the research paper (and have a great time while doing so!). As a writer, I fell into both categories. The main reason I signed up for this particular course, instead of the myriad others offered for homeschooled high school students, was the scope of subjects covered. The first semester was spent analyzing different elements of fiction, from characterization to dialogue to setting and beyond. The second semester delved into different types of fiction and storytelling, from point of view and tone to science fiction, poetry, realism, and drama. Covering both the elements and forms of fiction made it unique and well-rounded among the other online creative writing classes that I?ve seen.
While there was some variation in the structure, we read and discussed a famous piece of fiction one week and then worked on a related fiction project the next; while prompts were (thankfully) often provided, there was a lot of leeway to pursue our own ideas and plot lines! We also had weekly Skype chats which were wonderful for that jolt of inspiration ? chatting with Mrs. Serbicki and classmates was a great way to free a writer?s block! Over the course of the year my favorite projects were the character study, the dialogue study, the speculative fiction assignment, and the poetry weeks. The most challenging to me were the setting study, the realist retelling of a classic fairytale/myth, and the drama assignment.
I feel that Mrs. Serbicki?s instruction helped me get past my fear of writing fiction ? under her guidance I actually finished stories ? and fine-tuned my narration and plot development, steering me away from melodrama into honest, engaging tales. I highly, highly recommend this class to any high school student interested in honing storytelling skills or just looking for a fun alternative to traditional English courses.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. sharply criticized lawmakers Monday for voting to hold him in contempt of Congress last week, saying Republicans have made him a "proxy" to attack President Obama in an election year.
Rising heat at the beach threatens largest sea turtles, climate change models showPublic release date: 1-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rachel Ewing raewing@drexel.edu 215-895-2614 Drexel University
PHILADELPHIA (July 1, 2012)For eastern Pacific populations of leatherback turtles, the 21st century could be the last. New research suggests that climate change could exacerbate existing threats and nearly wipe out the population. Deaths of turtle eggs and hatchlings in nests buried at hotter, drier beaches are the leading projected cause of the potential climate-related decline, according to a new study in the journal Nature Climate Change by a research team from Drexel University, Princeton University, other institutions and government agencies.
Leatherbacks, the largest sea turtle species, are among the most critically endangered due to a combination of historical and ongoing threats including egg poaching at nesting beaches and juvenile and adult turtles being caught in fishing operations. The new research on climate dynamics suggests that climate change could impede this population's ability to recover. If actual climate patterns follow projections in the study, the eastern Pacific population of leatherback turtles will decline by 75 percent by the year 2100.
Modeling the Ebb and Flow of Turtle Hatching with Climate Variation
"We used three models of this leatherback population to construct a climate-forced population dynamics model. Two parts were based on the population's observed sensitivity to the nesting beach climate and one part was based on its sensitivity to the ocean climate," said the study's lead author Dr. Vincent Saba, a research fishery biologist with the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center, visiting research collaborator at Princeton University, and a Drexel University alumnus.
Leatherback turtle births naturally ebb and flow from year to year in response to climate variations, with more hatchlings, and rare pulses of male hatchlings, entering the eastern Pacific Ocean in cooler, rainier years. Female turtles are more likely to return to nesting beaches in Costa Rica to lay eggs in years when they have more jellyfish to eat, and jellyfish in the eastern Pacific are likely more abundant during cooler seasons. Turtle eggs and hatchlings are also more likely to survive in these cooler, rainier seasons associated with the La Nia climate phase, as this research team recently reported in the journal PLoS ONE. In addition, temperature inside the nest affects turtles' sex ratio, with most male hatchlings emerging during cooler, rainier seasons to join the predominantly-female turtle population.
The researchers applied Saba's combined model of these population dynamics to seven climate model projections assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The climate model projections were chosen based on their ability to model El Nio Southern Oscillation (ENSO) patterns on the temperature and precipitation in the region of Costa Rica where this team has conducted long-term leatherback studies.
Hot Beaches, More Warm Years Threaten Turtles' Recovery
The resulting projections indicate that warmer, drier years will become increasingly frequent in Central America throughout this century. High egg and hatchling mortality associated with warmer, drier beach conditions was the most significant cause of the projected climate-related population decline: This nesting population of leatherbacks could decline by 7 percent per decade, or 75 percent overall by the year 2100.
The population is already critically low.
"In 1990, there were 1,500 turtles nesting on the Playa Grande beach," said Dr. James Spotila, the Betz Chair Professor of Environmental Science in the College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel. "Now, there are 30 to 40 nesting females per season."
Spotila, a co-author of the study, has been studying leatherback turtles at Playa Grande in Costa Rica, the largest leatherback nesting beach in the eastern Pacific, with colleagues and Drexel students, for 22 years.
Poaching of turtle eggs was a major cause of the initial decline, and was once such a widespread problem that virtually no turtle hatchlings would survive at Playa Grande. Spotila and colleagues worked with the local authorities in Costa Rica to protect the leatherbacks' nesting beaches so that turtle nests can hatch in safety. Bycatch of juvenile and adult turtles in fishing operations in the eastern Pacific remains a threat.
For the population to recover successfully, Spotila said, "the challenge is to produce as many good hatchlings as possible. That requires us to be hands-on and manipulate the beach to make sure that happens."
Spotila's research team is already investigating methods such as watering and shading turtle nests that could mitigate the impact of hot, dry beach conditions on hatching success.
###
Link to this Nature Climate Change study: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE1582
Link to recent news release about a related study by this research team in PLoS ONE: http://www.drexel.edu/now/news-media/releases/archive/2012/May/El-Nino-Climate-Change-Threaten-Leatherback-Sea-Turtles/
Dr. James Spotila recently joined the faculty of Drexel University's new Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES), formed as a result of the University's unique affiliation with the Academy of Natural Sciences, the oldest natural history museum in the U.S. and a world leader in biodiversity and environmental research. Spotila is the author of the books Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation (2004) and Saving Sea Turtles: Extraordinary Stories from the Battle Against Extinction (2011).
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Rising heat at the beach threatens largest sea turtles, climate change models showPublic release date: 1-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rachel Ewing raewing@drexel.edu 215-895-2614 Drexel University
PHILADELPHIA (July 1, 2012)For eastern Pacific populations of leatherback turtles, the 21st century could be the last. New research suggests that climate change could exacerbate existing threats and nearly wipe out the population. Deaths of turtle eggs and hatchlings in nests buried at hotter, drier beaches are the leading projected cause of the potential climate-related decline, according to a new study in the journal Nature Climate Change by a research team from Drexel University, Princeton University, other institutions and government agencies.
Leatherbacks, the largest sea turtle species, are among the most critically endangered due to a combination of historical and ongoing threats including egg poaching at nesting beaches and juvenile and adult turtles being caught in fishing operations. The new research on climate dynamics suggests that climate change could impede this population's ability to recover. If actual climate patterns follow projections in the study, the eastern Pacific population of leatherback turtles will decline by 75 percent by the year 2100.
Modeling the Ebb and Flow of Turtle Hatching with Climate Variation
"We used three models of this leatherback population to construct a climate-forced population dynamics model. Two parts were based on the population's observed sensitivity to the nesting beach climate and one part was based on its sensitivity to the ocean climate," said the study's lead author Dr. Vincent Saba, a research fishery biologist with the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center, visiting research collaborator at Princeton University, and a Drexel University alumnus.
Leatherback turtle births naturally ebb and flow from year to year in response to climate variations, with more hatchlings, and rare pulses of male hatchlings, entering the eastern Pacific Ocean in cooler, rainier years. Female turtles are more likely to return to nesting beaches in Costa Rica to lay eggs in years when they have more jellyfish to eat, and jellyfish in the eastern Pacific are likely more abundant during cooler seasons. Turtle eggs and hatchlings are also more likely to survive in these cooler, rainier seasons associated with the La Nia climate phase, as this research team recently reported in the journal PLoS ONE. In addition, temperature inside the nest affects turtles' sex ratio, with most male hatchlings emerging during cooler, rainier seasons to join the predominantly-female turtle population.
The researchers applied Saba's combined model of these population dynamics to seven climate model projections assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The climate model projections were chosen based on their ability to model El Nio Southern Oscillation (ENSO) patterns on the temperature and precipitation in the region of Costa Rica where this team has conducted long-term leatherback studies.
Hot Beaches, More Warm Years Threaten Turtles' Recovery
The resulting projections indicate that warmer, drier years will become increasingly frequent in Central America throughout this century. High egg and hatchling mortality associated with warmer, drier beach conditions was the most significant cause of the projected climate-related population decline: This nesting population of leatherbacks could decline by 7 percent per decade, or 75 percent overall by the year 2100.
The population is already critically low.
"In 1990, there were 1,500 turtles nesting on the Playa Grande beach," said Dr. James Spotila, the Betz Chair Professor of Environmental Science in the College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel. "Now, there are 30 to 40 nesting females per season."
Spotila, a co-author of the study, has been studying leatherback turtles at Playa Grande in Costa Rica, the largest leatherback nesting beach in the eastern Pacific, with colleagues and Drexel students, for 22 years.
Poaching of turtle eggs was a major cause of the initial decline, and was once such a widespread problem that virtually no turtle hatchlings would survive at Playa Grande. Spotila and colleagues worked with the local authorities in Costa Rica to protect the leatherbacks' nesting beaches so that turtle nests can hatch in safety. Bycatch of juvenile and adult turtles in fishing operations in the eastern Pacific remains a threat.
For the population to recover successfully, Spotila said, "the challenge is to produce as many good hatchlings as possible. That requires us to be hands-on and manipulate the beach to make sure that happens."
Spotila's research team is already investigating methods such as watering and shading turtle nests that could mitigate the impact of hot, dry beach conditions on hatching success.
###
Link to this Nature Climate Change study: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE1582
Link to recent news release about a related study by this research team in PLoS ONE: http://www.drexel.edu/now/news-media/releases/archive/2012/May/El-Nino-Climate-Change-Threaten-Leatherback-Sea-Turtles/
Dr. James Spotila recently joined the faculty of Drexel University's new Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES), formed as a result of the University's unique affiliation with the Academy of Natural Sciences, the oldest natural history museum in the U.S. and a world leader in biodiversity and environmental research. Spotila is the author of the books Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation (2004) and Saving Sea Turtles: Extraordinary Stories from the Battle Against Extinction (2011).
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
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Online business advertising directories are an essential part of building and maintaining your small business? online presence. Not only do these directories help increase exposure, business directories can add relevancy to your site which is vital for search engine ranking.
There is a wide range of online advertising directories. Some offer free submissions, others charge fees. Some are designed as general directories; others are industry or location specific. A concentrated effort to list your business in multiple directories is a low cost way to gain online exposure.
The advantages of listing your business in as many directories as possible go beyond increased exposure to potential customers. Incoming links to your web site are of critical importance when it comes to search engine rankings. Search engines, like Google, place significant emphasis on link popularity, or the number of outside links pointing to your web site. Business directory listings play an important role in increasing incoming links.
Many directory listings allow customers to rate and review their experiences with your business. While this can be a two-edged sword, positive reviews and comments can greatly increase your customer base. If someone posts a negative experience, most directory sites allow a rebuttal, giving you the perfect opportunity to regain goodwill, address the submitters issue, and show other potential customers that you are committed to quality and customer satisfaction.
Of course, increased exposure is one of the main advantages of using a variety of business directories. It stands to reason that the more directories in which your business listing appears, the more people will be drawn to your web site.
There are three main types of business directories. They are:
GeneralRegionalIndustry Specific
General business advertising directories list businesses in all industries, specializations, and regions. Most general business directories offer free listings and differing levels of more prominent sponsored listing options. Examples of general business advertising directories include:
Business.com ? Business.com is a general business site dedicated to providing business information, how-to articles, directories, and additional resources. Directories match customers with needed services and products. Free listings, pay-per-click, and banner advertising levels are available.
RichDir.com ? Rich?s business directories provide a wealth of business information as well as business listings. Listings are submitted by business owners and reviewed for acceptance. Premium listings are available.
Best of the Web ? Best of the Web is one of the oldest directory sites. Not a business specific direction, they feature general, blog, and local directories, business owners may create their own listing, upload photos, and take advantage of a free get started option.
DMOZ ? DMOZ, or the Open Directory Project, is a large, comprehensive, human-edited web directory. A global community of volunteers maintains and constructs the directories. All listings, including those for business, are free.
Regional directories list businesses in specific geographical locations. Most regional directories break local businesses into industry categories and encourage customer reviews. Many regional directories offer business owners the opportunity to announce events, create coupons, monitor visitor traffic, and contact customers privately. Some of the currently popular regional business advertising directories include:
Yelp ? Yelp offers free listings for business owners and managers. ?Yelpers? rate and review various types of businesses, from restaurants to pet sitters. Yelp encourages users to socialize using online chatting and community tools.
Google Places ? Google Places offers free business listings with some advanced features. Photos, coupons, directions, and more can be included in a Google Places listing. Listing with Google Places improves your visibility in Google search listings and on Google Maps.
Yellow Pages ? A popular destination for consumers, Yellow Pages offers a free basic business listing and various paid options.
Yellow Book ? Yellow Book is another popular local search directory for consumers. Yellow Book offers a wide variety of free and premium tools for business owners.
CitySlick.net ? CitySlick.net offers a free service and various levels of premium features, including video promotions and classified ads.
Industry-related business advertising directories focus on a specific business type. Consumers looking for a competent attorney, for example, enter their zip code in a web site search field and receive a listing of nearby professionals. Some industry directories provide contact forms for each listing so that potential clients may contact the business professional directly.
Other useful types of business directories include listings with your local Chamber of Commerce, professional organizations, and local media web sites.
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Relative Terms: Advertising | free-articles-directory-list | business | Directories
FILE - In this March 17, 2012 file photo, Heidi Heitkamp, the North Dakota Democratic Party's endorsed candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks to delegates at the North Dakota Democratic state convention in Grand Forks, N.D. The constitutional win for President Barack Obama and Democrats on health care overhaul is reopening political cuts within the party over the unpopular law. Vulnerable Democratic incumbents and candidates, including Heitkamp, cautiously welcomed the court?s judgment but argued that the law could be improved. (AP Photo/Shawna Noel Widdel, File)
FILE - In this March 17, 2012 file photo, Heidi Heitkamp, the North Dakota Democratic Party's endorsed candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks to delegates at the North Dakota Democratic state convention in Grand Forks, N.D. The constitutional win for President Barack Obama and Democrats on health care overhaul is reopening political cuts within the party over the unpopular law. Vulnerable Democratic incumbents and candidates, including Heitkamp, cautiously welcomed the court?s judgment but argued that the law could be improved. (AP Photo/Shawna Noel Widdel, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The constitutional win for President Barack Obama and Democrats on health care overhaul is reopening political cuts within the party over the unpopular law.
Four months to an election with control of Congress in the balance, the Supreme Court's affirmation of the law left several Democrats insisting that the issue was settled and it's time to focus on jump-starting a sluggish economy.
Other Democrats saw the newfound attention as a chance to reset the debate and make a fresh case for the law's more popular elements, especially as 12.8 million Americans start getting health insurance rebate checks in the coming months.
The most vulnerable Democratic incumbents and challengers ? Montana Sen. Jon Tester and North Dakota's Heidi Heitkamp among them ? cautiously welcomed the court's judgment but argued that the law could be improved.
Even before Obama signed the landmark measure in March 2010, Republicans were unified in opposition and clear in their message: repeal and replace. The White House and divided Democrats have been frustrated in trying to explain and sell the law to a skeptical public in a sharp contrast to the GOP. The court's decision was a reminder of political reality.
Two years ago, grass-roots outrage over health care contributed to the Democrats losing the House majority and seven Senate seats. Republicans and outside groups promise more of the same in the campaign slog to November.
The court has "done a favor" for Republicans, freshman Rep. Allen West of Florida, who owes his seat in part to that anger, said in an interview. "Why would the Obama administration and Democrats want the pre-eminent issue of 2010 to be the pre-eminent issue of 2012?"
Conservative leader Richard Viguerie said the court's decision has raised that anger to "a revolutionary fervor that will sweep President Obama and many other Democrats from office." The Tea Party Express appealed to its supporters for money and backing to defeat Obama and "a liberal U.S. Senate that have foisted Obamacare down our throats." Outside groups, both parties and candidates have been furiously fundraising off the ruling.
In North Dakota, Crossroads GPS launched an ad Friday that calls out Heitkamp, the Democratic Senate candidate, for her support of the law and contends that it raises taxes and expands regulations. Crossroads GPS is the conservative-leaning group tied to former President George W. Bush's longtime political director, Karl Rove.
Looking to finesse a difficult issue, Heitkamp has been airing an ad that argues for the law in personal terms.
"I'm Heidi Heitkamp and 12 years ago, I beat breast cancer," she says. "When you live through that, political attack ads seem silly."
The former state attorney general, who is locked in a close race with Republican Rep. Rick Berg, said the bill has its good and bad points and needs to be fixed but that she would never deny coverage to seniors.
In suburban Chicago, Democratic candidate Tammy Duckworth said that as a survivor of a health crisis, she understands the importance of affordable health care. Duckworth, who piloted a Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq, lost both legs when her aircraft was hit in 2004.
She highlighted the popular elements of the law ? banning denial of coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions, allowing children to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26, and reducing seniors' Medicare prescription drug costs by closing the "donut hole." But Duckworth complained about the law's "unfair burden on employers, especially our small businesses," and promised to address the issue if she ousts first-term Republican Rep. Joe Walsh.
Public opposition to the health care law remains high: 47 percent of respondents in a recent Associated Press-GfK poll said they oppose the law while 33 percent said they support it. Thirteen percent said they are neutral. Those who strongly oppose the legislation also outnumber those who strongly support it, 32 percent to 17 percent, about a 2-to-1 margin.
Critical to both parties, just 21 percent of independents support it, the lowest level of support the AP-GfK poll has recorded on the issue.
Much of the polling does find strong support for individual elements, like allowing young adults to remain on their parents' plan to age 26. Some Democrats see that as an opening to reframe the debate.
"I see this as a huge moment for us," Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said in an interview. "Now that the benefits are kicking in, it's a lot easier to explain it."
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said the court's ruling lifts a cloud of uncertainty.
"Now the American people are going to say, 'Now what's in that for me?'" Harkin said. "As long as Democrats are willing to go out there and positively say, 'Look, now you are guaranteed that you will get affordable health insurance if you had breast cancer in the past ... preventive care, free mammograms. ... And they (Republicans) want to take it away from you. You have it now and they want to take it away from you. If you want it taken away from you, you just go ahead and vote for them.'"
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., the presidential nominee in 2004, said Democrats need to seize the chance.
"I think it's very important to do what wasn't done sufficiently before," Kerry said.
The Republican response? Bring it on.
The court ruling gave clarity to the GOP call for repeal ? electing Republican candidates in November is the only way now to ensure the law's demise. In a fundraising appeal within hours of the court announcement, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, "Now we know ? four seats to repeal Obamacare," a reference to the net number that the GOP needs to seize the Senate majority.
Republicans also used the ruling to craft a new attack line. Chief Justice John Roberts' majority opinion said the law's requirement that Americans purchase health care is a tax, which Republicans argued contradicted Obama and Democrats who insist they aren't raising taxes on the poor and middle class.
"The court blew the president's cover," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said.
The tax debate will be at the forefront when the House votes the week of July 9 to overturn the law, a largely symbolic step with a Democratic-controlled Senate but one that will put Democrats and Republicans on record and provide fodder for the campaign.
____
Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.
A review by Carmen Paddock![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 1-Jul-2012
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