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The White House lawyer’s sign trumped the cable networks’ reports for the president, who smiled and gave Ruemmler a hug. His biggest domestic policy achievement, and with it a large part of his legacy, was still intact.

Roughly two hours later the president claimed victory for the American people in a somber-sounding address from the East Room of the White House.

“The highest court in the land has now spoken. We will continue to implement this law and we’ll work together to improve on it where we can,” Obama said.

“What we won’t do – what the country can’t afford to do – is re-fight the political battles of two years ago or go back to the way things were. With today’s announcement, it’s time for us to move forward,” he said.

Obama seemed intent to avoid the impression of taking a victory lap, however. He pledged to implement and improve the law and said the Supreme Court’s decision should put to rest the political fight over reform.

The divisive law was Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement and the fulfillment of a promise he made as a presidential candidate in 2008. Obama’s opponent in this year’s presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney, has promised to repeal it if he wins.

Obama nodded to the political hits he took over the law and said he understood the “very real concerns” that millions of Americans had shared about it.

“Whatever the politics, today’s decision was a victory for people all over this country, whose lives will be more secure because of this law, and the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold it,” Obama said.