Bringing teabaggin' townhall terrorism into a Joint Session of Congress, Wilson has already had to humble himself with an apology to the White House. He tried to get the President but got Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel instead. Imagine the Rahm-out he received...and his own party is unhappy as well. Way to overshadow the already pale GOP "response" speech. Wilson is now the official response in the minds of cable news and the public (with Fox alt-reality-news sure to spin it in his favor), and it not only painted a target on Wilson's back that has led to a surge of donations for his Democratic opponent, and put him in line for Congressional censure, it also reinforces the do-nothing GOP image they're cultivating.
Not a great day for a so-called "family values" party that had a "family values" state representative in California resign over an accidental hot microphone graphic description of sex (and spanking) with two different women -- neither his wife.
As for the speech itself, Obama once again gainsays the naysayers, reasserts leadership and shows his very smart fighting spirit, explains why Single Payer isn't for America this year and his desire (Obama the true smart conservative) not to try and tear down the entire system but to fix and add to it. Most of all, he called on the better angels of Congress and our nation as a whole, laying down a test just as his candidacy for President did:
We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it. I still believe we can act even when it's hard. I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility, and gridlock with progress. I still believe we can do great things, and that here and now we will meet history's test.
Some, like Rep. Wilson, still fear. For the rest of us, yes, hope.
Enjoy:
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