On Tuesday, less than 24 hours after a federal appeals court announced its 2-1 Halbig v. Burwell ruling, declaring subsidies on federal health insurance exchanges illegal, left-wing journalism was reduced momentarily to a simpering heap of comical hand-wringing.

We say “momentarily” because despair eventually gave way to defiance, with headlines boldly declaring: “Here’s why the ruling doesn’t matter,” “Here’s why the ruling hurts the GOP,” etc.