Bring Out Your Death Panel!

Why — Sarah Palin’s lame! (She’s quite unsound.)

Can Barry beat the insane again? IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN! (do-do-doo-doooo… do-do-doo-doo-dooooo….)

[Repeated from previous thread, because Europe RAWKS, dood.]

Keef comes out guns a-blazin’: Barry is either on the side of the people, or the corporations.

Ready to go, ready to be disappointed by probable lack of insistence on public option, but ready to judge the responses of the GOP while they squirm in their seats.

@Signal to Noise: Ready as well: Discovered a spare Widmer in the fridge.

Backbone! Backbone! Baaaack — bone !!

PandemicTyrannyWatch: Walgreens advertises flu shots.

@nojo: bought a case of Widmer at Costco last week. REALLY set on that point, and I have a feeling I’m gonna need it.

By the way, Comcast just put MSNBC HD on the system last week. Much, MUCH better, although I’m disturbed by seeing KO’s pores.

STINQUE SPORT UPDATE: USA 0:0 TNT, forty minutes into a crucial World Cup qualifer. (For the U.S., anyhow — the Soca Warriors are out of it, but good.) Monitoring.

I have to listen to it over the radio. Is Nancy all botox-y?

@Signal to Noise: MSNBC has HD now? Why hasn’t Cox told me?

@chicago bureau: thanks. gonna need the updates. apparently my sports tier package does NOT get me ESPN Classic despite giving me everything else under the sun, including NFL, MLB, and NBA network.

What channel are we watching?

@nojo: apparently they started an HD feed this summer and Comcast just put it on here in the NW last week. Also have Comedy Central and Turner Classic Movies in HD now too. I’ll never leave HD channels again, I think.

@Signal to Noise: Wiki: MSNBC HD is a 1080i high definition simulcast of MSNBC that launched on June 29, 2009.

Well. I was wondering about all those 16×9 promos.

BTW: is whisky and smokes during a health care speech, like, bad?

@chicago bureau:

Are you eating a pork sandwich as well?

@Tommmcatt Floats: Nancy wearing bright red suit. Commie alert!

::chewing nicotine gum::

@chicago bureau: no, some form of booze is required. cigarettes are optional, but you’re doing as the president does there.

@nojo: I do wish I’d bought a TV one size bigger with the massive jump in HD channels as of late.

@chicago bureau: Depends. Single malt?

No. Me and pork aren’t talking right now, after Dollar Dog weekend at Sox Park for the Red Sox / White Sox series. (They were promoing it as a “staycation” treat for Chicagoans.)

And raspberry sorbet for Michelle tonight. Meh.

MichelleWatch: Lavender? Or some expensive color that’s still lavender?

for the first time I’m not bowled over by what Michelle’s wearing and how she looks in it (usually HAWT)

DOWDY!

Dammit, is he speaking yet? I hate the radio delay.

DANGER DANGER DANGER: HILLARY WEARING SAME SUIT AS NANCY.

nojo: Canadian blend, actually (so: “whiskey”), together with vermouth for the weapon of choice — the Manhattan. Yummy.

@Tommmcatt Floats: Naw, they’re all staggering through the door.

HRC: also a dirty commie Red. She would have given us single payer.

/PUMA’d

@Signal to Noise: I beg to differ. Michelle rocks.

Rahm’s wearing a gold tie. Is yellow still a power color?

“Let go of my fucking hand, bitch!”

@Dodgerblue: I love her, but JNOV is right: that pink thing is DOWDY.

Gone to half in Port of Spain, still knotted at USA 0:0 TNT.

Jesus, Howard Fineman, ever the downer.

nojo: Rahm’s gotta get off the muthafucking dime, man. Seriously — where has he been in all of this? Knock some heads, brother.

@Signal to Noise: They tried to make it interesting with pleats, but she looks one wimple short of taking flight.

@chicago bureau: Rahm’s been pushing the public option off the gangplank all along. He doesn’t care about results — he wants a deal.

KO and Rachel are going to be very, very disappointed by the way they’re pre-game talkin’ right now.

Shut up, Ron Regan, Jr.! Cut to the Joint Session!

Gavin Newsom in the gallery. Huh?

I’ve got in on streaming video on my ‘puter. No heads are talking.

@Dodgerblue: Ooooo. Should I turn on my cam?

Count your blessings: David Gregory’s taking a nap.

“Nuts works.” Stop it, stop it, stop it. Kick up, KO, not down; kick up!

@Dodgerblue:

Linky-the-link, please.

The President is Near!

Nuts works?

Got NBC rolling on basic cable tier here. Hey, I have that same tie!

Yes, I applauded.

JNOV: Only if you are a douchebag in the California Assemb–

BARRY!

McConnell and Boner Boy look very, very happy, and of course, you can barely see Harry Reid.

Sales of raspberry snuggies go through the roof.

add: mother in law just said that “he looks like my son-in-law”…

Note to editors: MiL is a ferrner

Nice fade and shape up.

What does Bohner look like? I’m betting “Pig Anus”.

@Tommmcatt Floats: http://www.barackobama.com/splash/addresstocongress.html

Uh-oh — he’s got TELEPROMPTERS. Look out, America!

I wish I could transcribe the Bosnian chatter going on in this household….

@JNOV: Hope his speech is as good as his barber.

@DodgerblueThanks!

@Dodgerblue: He’s gonna go balls out. Watch.

@chicago bureau: Ziggy cartoons, to keep him loose

@JNOV: That’s where my money is at. Michelle won’t let him in the house tonight if he doesn’t.

Ooh, I was right about Boehner.

@JNOV: I want a cut that sharp. I can never get the barber to make my Caesar look that good.

Economy? Huh?

@chicago bureau: Showing progress.

Front-loaded applause lines! Make the Republicans clap!

@chicago bureau: Really. I have spin class at 6 (LA Time). Let’s get it on.

@chicago bureau: He’s framing the argument. Good debate tactic.

@chicago bureau:

This is the foreplay bit.

Pulling us back from the brink…

Must they applaud at every bit? They’re interrupting the rhythm here.

careful what you are determined to have, Mr. Prez

@Tommmcatt Floats: Scores with a hard right hand.

A little lyricism at the beginning. He’s ready to bring it.

(Knocking on wood.)

“I am not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last.”

In our lifetimes, anyway.

Go Dingle!

@chicago bureau: Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. C’mon.

Shit. There was a John Dingell Sr.? You learn something every day.

@Signal to Noise: Yes!

Middle America framing. A right cross to the head.

“Not on welfare.” Uh-oh. He’s going to go Jed Bartlett on us. Rock.

@chicago bureau: news to me, too. Good Lord, nepotism is a beeyotch.

@chicago bureau: Daughter married Marion Barry’s son, produced a Dingell-Barry.

@The Nabisco Quiver are Go!: Heh.

“Those who do have insurance have never had less security and stability than today.” Hard right to the flabby Repub gut.

@Dodgerblue: Yes.

And now let me step aside for this special screening of Sicko…

Taking it to Big Insurance. Good beginning.

someone jacked the mic

@The Nabisco Quiver are Go!: zing!

We have hit the “personal anecdotes” section of the speech.

The Nabisco Quiver are Go!: Early nominee for Comment of the Day right there. Score!

Ooh, Frankin has a bad tie for TV. He should know better.

I want Michelle’s lip gloss.

ooh, good tie in to the auto-makers.

Nancy looks droopy; missed a botox session?

HIDDEN AND GROWING TAX IN THE ER!!

Single Payer? Wha?

@The Nabisco Quiver are Go!: Kinda like Skeletor. Needs some of that cadaver meat.

Smack down on single-payer. Ruh-roh.

A single-payer system like Canada Medicare. Teleprompter fixed.

The health care most people currently have sucks. What isn’t worth disrupting?

@Tommmcatt Floats: I believe he just dumped single payer. No?

USA 0:0 TNT, 10 minutes into second half.

“Thoughtful ideas.” I see what he did there.

@nojo: +1

@chicago bureau: Wait. He’s declaring victory? Now?

@nojo: Socialized medicine like the military and their dependents have…

@chicago bureau: are we good with a draw? I wanna see them play Costa Rica in October

The best ideas of both parties? What good ideas can you get from a bunch of screamers?

@Dodgerblue: I think he dumped it as the only way to go.

Boehner’s spray-tan is peeling.

“Bizzard of charges and countercharges — now is the season of action.” And he is talking through a standing O. He is in his fucking element right now.

@Dodgerblue:

I got all excited for a second there.

The Nabisco Quiver are Go!: Nah. Sam’s Army requires three points tonight.

DO. NOT. SAY. DEATH. PANELS.

Gah-dammit! My cable is out and I can’t watch the Oudin match. Only the networks are coming in – part of Barry’s Mooslem plot to force me to watch his speech.

“…or the VA…” NEVAH FORGET.

All those afflicted with pre-existing ‘Stoopid”, please rise

No dropping coverage or coverage caps. Good clarifying point, there.

I want a version of Boohbahs with bouncing House Speakers.

sooo…we’re going to regulate the care that the 60 percent have now?

add: okay, here we go…

He wants to blow through policy limits? Cool!

What’s the diff b/n an arbitrary cap and a non-arbitrary cap?

Tree-fiddy.

Simple and to the point. I may be drunk (“may be” ??) — but this is really fucking good thus far.

“Mammagrams and colonoscopies.” Kids? Bed! Now!

It like the rainbow coalition up in there–Commie red all over the place! Also, I’m going to have to join the pile-on for Shelly O’s choice of attire. Not. good.

“Insurance exchange.” Nothing truly new there.

@chicago bureau: Scuttlebutt sez Nancy invited Mayor McDreamy because the public health care program we have in EssEff is supposedly a model of the public option, and she wanted him to pitch it to Barry.

I may need to change my avatar back to Nancy for a while.

@flippin eck: Oh,I think she’s rocking the modern Jackie O look. But yeah, the Red, it burns my eyes.

add: nice way to inject McCain

I like The Angry Black Man!

Tax credits? Sounds like a sop to the GOP, I reckon.

Psychogeezer reference! Low blow!

What is that feeling? That sense of deja vu? Could it be…HopeTM???

Nice bipartisanship, Barry.

Oh, Psychogeezer just got co-opted there. Great.

that must have been the most insincere thumbs- up I’ve ever seen

@chicago bureau: Being freelance — and proudly uninsured since 1995 — I’m willing to give tax credits a listen.

@Dodgerblue: I should try spinning sometime. I need to get to the gym so I can watch tennis on the treadmill teevees, since my *f#(*$#)# Comcast is out. It goes out any time the fog blows more than 5 mph over the hill.

“Ma’am, license and insurance card, please”

Required insurance. Okay….. ??

@flippin eck: He’s good. He’s really good. But will it take?

I loathe the requirement to carry health insurance on individuals. Eventually someone will get screwed on the money end on that.

And there’s the Bankrupt the Base move — you require me to buy health insurance, you’d better throw in a pony.

Spinning is for psychos. Yeah. I said it.

“From each according to his ability, to each….”

ruh-roh!

Why all the haterade for Shelly Oh!’s outfit? That color looks fantastic on her, the cut of the jacket needs some work.

ADD: Fuck you, Olympia Snowe. Stop pulling your hair back so tightly.

Bringing the wonk and the poetry. Good speech on its own merits.

@JNOV: I admit it.

“Misinformation.” Well done.

DO. NOT. SAY. DEATH. PANELS!!!!

You’re only required to buy car insurance if you drive a car. Excuse me for living.

START YELLING AGAIN, DAMMIT!

They want to kill reform like I want to kill your mama!

LAYETH THE SMACKETH DOWN

“It is a lie, plain and simple.”

FINALLY.

AGGHHHHH!

Okay, at least he said “lies”!

Calling out Talk Radio and Sarah Plain and Dumb. And CALLING IT A LIE! OUTFUCKINGSTANDING!

The L word! The L word!

About. FUCKING.TIME.

Well, there’s one testicle, anyway. We need the full set, though.

WHOA — we’re going British here.

Klassy with a K, Republicans. Booing.

One other misunderstanding: “I was born in Nigeria, not Kenya”

Uh-oh — he’s calling out the Republicans there. BRING IT!

ooh, some rowdiness in the rank and file…

and there go women under the bus with the abortion bit….

you do NOT heckle the Preznit, dude

Take him behind the woodshed, Barry

Nice shit-eating grin there. COME ON YOU BARRY!

he said the word “LIE.”

I love him so much.

@Tommmcatt Floats: Agreed. More outright mockery is needed.

This would be so much more fun if everyone was wearing powdered wigs.

@nojo: Exactly what I was thinking!

@Signal to Noise: Most insurance companies don’t cover abortion, anyway. I’m more concerned about contraceptive coverage.

I’m gonna sit back and listen and wait for my answer. COME ON!!

rabble rabble rabble rabble.

harrumph harrumph harrumph harrumph!

“I didn’t get a harrumph outta you….”

No, Barry, they do it because they are bad people.

@nojo: @flippin eck: I actually think Bar’ could take it, if prepared.

Schumer leads the shit-eating grin contest.

Is Chuck Schumer wearing a pink shirt? And Daniel Inoye too? Do they think they’ll pop out like teh ladiez in red?

@Signal to Noise: First Blazing Saddles reference! “Scuze me while I whip this out . . . .”

@Signal to Noise: Gonna have to pop in Frisky Dingo when this is over.

Here we go — public option time.

@nojo: Schumer ALWAYS leads the shit-eating grin contest.

Anybody see what Louie Gohmert’s (Shitbag-TX) hand-scrawled sign said?

Plugz, stop picking your ear wax.

@mellbell: Go back to Kenya, you moran Muslim?

The college argument, at last!

Oh — bringing in land grant public colleges into the mix. GO STATE! FIGHT!

I think he’s actually throwing down a public option here. Can it be?

Lindsay Graham almost clapped.

“My Progressive friends, talk to Rahm’s hand.”

My plan is now to go to the gym. I’ll check back in an hour, barring heart attack.

@Tommmcatt Floats: Medicare.For.All.

Three fucking words. Just say it, Barry.

@mellbell: He had a sign at a joint session?

And this should be some photo-op.

fucking juvenile backbenchers

I like the addition of “legitimate” in the message to his Repub friends.

“To my Republican friends — we should work together….” And talking directly to them now. Brilliant — but only if he backs it up.

What are they holding?

Nice comment splitting “government takeover” from “legitimate concerns” – there’s going to be some foaming at the mouth tonight!

@blogenfreude: It’s supposed to rain, but I’m thinking about going all the same.

“If Americans can’t find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice.”

That may be as close to Bubba’s pen-wielding as we get.

@JNOV: can’t be their dicks.

@SanFranLefty: he can’t and he won’t.

Gotta love the Republican backbencher buttlock.

@mellbell: I’ll be in Silver Spring noonish. What time is the cluster?

@The Nabisco Quiver are Go!: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Calling out Bush there. WELL FUCKING DONE.

Cantor’s twittering away on his Crackberry, but I’m too lazy to check the feed.

BURN!

to GOP debt-riders: SUCK ON IT.

Who’s that douche on Twitter?

@nojo: how rude. what a little bitch.

Slapping down the Shrub for unfunded mandates – nice!

Then LOOK AT US THEM, not the prompter

You know — the dimbats watching Fox right now should be watching this shit right now. You think those fuckers can dance? Black Eagle can dance you out the fucking door.

@nojo: Ah.

“I’d like to speak directly to Seniors.”

Those who aren’t watching Fox, anyway. Last I checked, they were skipping the speech.

@chicago bureau: Planned ahead this time — the room’s reserved.

Speaking of random profanity — WHERE ARE YOU CHAINSAW?

Way to tack with the wind on Medicare, dude

@chicago bureau: this thread was missing something. no wonder.

@The Nabisco Quiver are Go!: Rally (featuring such Republican luminaries as Dick Armey, Betsy McCaughey, and Jim DeMint) near the Capitol starts at 1.

Coming in on Med-Mal. Classic move there. But where is he going? Hmmmm….

Coincidence that the last two black POTUS have been left handed?

Sebelius is your new MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CZAR. Look out. And calling out on tax cuts for Plutocrat America. Good.

Mentioning what Bush blew on the wars. Nice.

Is it bad that I want to take a baseball bat across the smirking faces of those white Republican men?

@mellbell: I’ll see if Junior wants to go see Idiots On Parade. And some museums.

Smackdown on the Bush tax cuts. Some teabaggers may need to be hospitalized by the time this is finished.

USA 1:0 TNT with 10 minutes left. COME ON YOU YANKS!

Awwwww. Why the frowny faces?

@SanFranLefty: No. And I’ll hand you the towel to wipe it off with.

@SanFranLefty: Nope.

This speech would have been great — two months ago.

@chicago bureau: Ollleee, ole ole!

Ouidan lost the first set.

Is it just me, or is he rocking this?

WE WILL CALL YOU OUT, MUTHERFUCKERS!

Don’t cry, Barry!

Silence. Then Kennedy anecdote. Niiiice.

Waving the Bloody Kennedy…

Playing the Teddy card.

This letter thing is gonna be awesome, you watch. “Upon his death”, yet.

Plugz is crying!

Biden crying is making me cry.

@Mistress Cynica: He’s bringing it to a masterful close right now.

“More than material things.” TAX INCREASES FOR EVERYBODY! Suck it, GOP.

Vicki Kennedy shot…oh, he’s winding it up…

@Mistress Cynica:

Oh, he’s rocking it. Is it enough, though?

OMG SOCIAL JUSTICE!

Did I just hear “liberalism” from a major Democratic figure?

NAME THE BILL AFTER EDWARD KENNEDY, yes….

mellbell: Plugz crying? I’m not seeing it — but bringing in Hatch and McCain and Grassley! Oh man. This is fucking good.

@mellbell: Me too. He looks like he’s stiffling an audible sob.

Damn! Calling out the GOP senators. Make Hatch cry, c’mon Barry, do it.

@chicago bureau: He dabbed a bit. You might have had a different cutaway.

Excuse me. I’m about to have a Hopegasm.

[pause]

Sorry. I’m back now.

Brother lays a guilt trip down like a Jewish mother. Nice.

Social justice, fair play…coming in for the big finish….

…am I the only one who would call the Shelly, Vicki, and Jill line a hotties’ row? I mean….

He’s mentioned liberals, Kennedy and socialism in five minutes. Fucking awesome.

@Tommmcatt Floats: As nojo pointed out, it would have been better to do this two months ago.
He still gives me goosebumps, though.

Plugz is just scratching those errant hairs they mistransplanted.

@Signal to Noise: Totes. They all married up, though it’s a close call for Barry.

Too much government vs. too little. Oh HELL yes.

Only timidity vs. wisdom. Yes, sir.

“And, by the way, I’ve told Holder to go after Cheney.”

Oh, right. Sorry.

Suck it Republicans, I’m the adult in the room!

@nojo: Patience, grasshopper.

“We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it.” That’s a good takeaway from this.

“We came here to shape it”

That is the shit RIGHT THERE! Yeah, Barry!

“I am the grown-up here, you punks. Get to work, dammit.”

I can hear the wingnut mill cranking up, they’re going to come up with some new insane shit to combat this major fucking speech

I need a cigarette.

Was Rangel shouting out “Amen” towards the end?

Hopegasms for all!

I still believe!

HOME RUN. Seriously.

In other news: injury time in Port of Spain — still USA 1:0 TNT.

@Signal to Noise: Jinx.

Great speech. But what happens tomorrow?

@Signal to Noise: can I bum one? Obmaacare will keep me safe, right?

@SanFranLefty: owe you a soda.

STINQUE SPORT UPDATE: It’s a final. And… three points to the USA! USA 1:0 TNT.

@The Nabisco Quiver are Go!: make sure to pass the pack around.

I want to read Teddy’s letter.

And now the petty men and women mill about, wondering how they can turn this to their advantage and still get PAID, goddammit….

Oh, insta-response from the La. Congressperson type.

This my brother Darryl, and my other brother Darryl.

The best the GOP can do is a backbencher doctor from Louisiana that no one’s heard of?

ADD: and he’s working off of July’s talking points. Holy crap, this is a FAIL.

@nojo: “all the animals come out at night…” – it’s going to be a total wingnut cluster on the airwaves and the tubez.

ADD: this surgeon dude is lit worse than a trauma doc on a MASH set.

ADD2: WTF with the wiiiid lapels? I mean srsly, W T F?

This douchebag wasn’t in the room. This was packaged beforehand. Poor form.

OK, I was in the car listening on NPR and didn’t get to see who was booing (and yelling “liar”?) at the illegal aliens remark. WTF was up with that?

Seriously — this may be only for you wonkish types, but you want to wait for five minutes to give even the impression that you actually listened to the speech. Poor.

Isn’t Louisiana pols on par with Chi Town’s? This dude probably isn’t even a doctor. Or a member of Congress.

Odd, the Neville brothers made me believe that Louisianans talked purty. This guy and Governor Kenneth are really awful.

@JNOV: the sweat, however, is real.

ADD: it’s so amateur, you can hear them tearing down set in the background.

You know — they shoulda gone with somebody besides a Republican from Louisiana. It didn’t work so well last time.

@The Nabisco Quiver are Go!: Sacrificial lamb.

And that was it? Holy crap!

Keef: Boustany’s a birther.

ooh…KO just savaged him. YEOWCH.

And why, men, why do some of you insist on that little furry tuft of cotton on the pate? Man up and grab a goddamned razor.

Oh, God — that was probably the most feeble post-show response from the party out of power ever.

“Americas Got Talent”: what you get when you no longer have full cable.

SUED FOR MALPRACTICE THREE TIMES? Who won?

the salesman didn’t tell me HD would allow me to SMELL flop-sweat.

That 15 minute delay before the speech makes COMPLETE AND IRRECOVABLE sense now. Limit the GOP dood to 2 minutes in response. Excellent move, Rahm.

@JNOV: Looks like they got the good doctor’s balls in the award.

You know something, guys? Barry took them out tonight. No real response from the GOP there. Well fucking played.

Okay, off to watch Glee. C’mon it’s about high school show choir, what’s not to love?

@chicago bureau: It’s all in the follow-through. The endgame’s just starting.

@nojo: Exactly. Let’s watch him call them out.

@nojo: He was just passing notes in class. Here’s the sole tweet, and it ain’t much.

nojo: FINAL VERDICT — he did the best he could under the circumstances. He took back the momentum. But, yes: if the future mimics the past, it will not work out. But this gives him the higher ground. Best outcome possible. Let’s see what the Sunday douchebags (St. Bob of Schieffer excepted from that douchebag remark) have with this.

@chicago bureau: tomorrow’s talking points, courtesy of Drudge: “Obama Scare”, and “whip count: Dems lack the votes”

So, it’s the black man is trying to scare us socialist paired with process stuff. I think the night of the long knives is going to involve surgical tools, and lots of blood.

@mellbell: You take the photos, and I’ll post ‘em.

What did Gohmert’s sign say?

Keef: “Two generations of Dingells.” I’m sorry, but I refuse to grow up.

SPORT: The lone goal came from an absolute smash from Ricardo Clark (62′). Excellent bending strike from 25 yards.

@chicago bureau: you did us a service, as did Ricardo Clark, who has had some dumb overplay in the midfield at times.

FURTHER SPORT: Federer and Soderling about to get underway in Queens.

Signal to Noise: I live to serve, and serve to live. I need to step up my contributions lately, given the 9 to 5 blockout that I recently have had to deal with. Just doing my part, y’know.

Jarrett and Keef sharing a light moment there. Lovely.

I loves my stinquers.

The kids had their summer fun, but now Daddy’s home.

Joe Wilson’s a HILARIOUS trending topic over on Twitter.

Sully commenter brings an all-World WIN:

Allow me to sum up the President’s speech as it relates to his opponents tonight:

Beep beep, motherfuckers.

Yes. Eric Cantor is thumbing through the Acme catalog as we speak.

@RomeGirl: Hopey has something so rare in politics, PATIENCE. When I worked on campaigns, I was sometimes a little, more than a little, in disagreement with the “war room” mentality that demanded in instant response to everything anyone anywhere said about the candidate.

In trials, lawyers fight over who gets to speak LAST. If Obama had been in this shit through August, responding to every criticism, he just would have got shit on him. He kept the shit off, kept his powder dry, played an amazingly patient high road while we were panicking left and right, and thereby made sure that when he came out and spoke, it would have impact, and, he would not have any shit on him.

Listen, the right wing, the media, and the corporate interests, they have wanted nothing more than for Obama to wade in, day to day, and get mired in details that are unintelligible to the masses, so they could just throw their shit like the monkeys they are, and I am now convinced Obama, or is it Rahm, or both, they are the big boys in US politics now, and know how to play it.

Come on, the noise, all summer, has been from complete lunatics. You know what they say about arguing with an idiot, it just makes you look like an idiot.

Obama waited until after they shot their load, then hauled off and shot one back, over their heads, not attacking the individual lunatics and their idiotic positions, but instead, aiming at the base of their position, taking the debate back, and elevating it back to a level where they are incapable of response.

I likes my Hopey.

McCain, on Larry King, just called on that Wilson pigfucker to immediately apologize. Epic Fail, Mr. Wilson.

@RomeGirl: Indeed!

Goddamn guys, great. I was off at dinner at Mrs RML’s mom’s house (breaded pork chops, buttered rice, asparagus) talking to her at the table while Mrs RML was glued to the tube, then I moved a doghouse. Sounds like the man pulled it off. I would have liked to have heard him say “opponents of this plan are for non-coverage of pre-existing conditions, of insurance companies denying payment for treatment, of people suffering and dying for lack of affordable care . . . “, but what the hell. I’m not crazy about the individual mandate myself.

@chicago bureau: So can I use my medicinal wild turkey and vermouth (sweet or dry?) for a Manhattan? I was thinking about a glass of wine later.

@RomeGirl:

My fave for far:

“JC_Christianrt @Wisco It took a lot of guts for @CongJoeWilson to show up hammered to an address to a joint session of congress”

@Promnight: We’ve got to remember this guy is a poker player. Poker is a marathon. He’s let the GOP take a few early pots and they have been bluffing their position on health care all summer. They’ve raised the pot over and over and tonight he called.

I think that’s why all the long GOP faces tonight, they know that ultimately they and the insurance industry have a whole hand full of nothin’.

Ya know, Nathan Bedford Forest is famous for saying that the secret to winning battles is “get their fustest with the mostest.” The thing is, this only works if, after you got their fustest with the mostest, your adversary is stupid enough to come along later with the leastest and still engage with you. Your smart adversary will just say, “hmm, there he is all set up for the fight he wants to fight, where he wants to fight it. I think I will let him cool his jets their awhile, and I will get to this place over here, with more mostest, and if he wants to fight, he will have to come to me, where I want to fight, and have the advantage.”

Yeah, we all get impatient for the champ to throw the knockout, while he is playing the rope-a-dope and waiting till the challenger’s guard is down.

Hopey just took a massive shit on their heads, and the coolest thing is, they are out of ammo. They unleashed their hordes of morons a month ago, they spent august flailing their fists against air, and now they have nothing left to throw.

And I will say it again, I think the idiotic shitstorm against his speech to the schoolkids, that was a Schiavo moment, that showed how ridiculous they are, and also, even better, it was a feint, it completely distracted them from tonight’s speech, they were already on their heals, looking like hysterical fools, yesterday, and were in the worst position for the knockout punch tonight.

@Dave H: This was played masterfully. Let them spin their wheels during the summer when noone is paying attention, then come back after labor day and call them out.

Patience, its a rare commodity in politics, where the conventional wisdom is that you have to win every news cycle.

@Promnight: Didn’t my man Sun-Tzu say something about not letting the other guy choose the battle field?

@Promnight: I have been saying the same thing about his patience. I loooooove that the admin didn’t say a WORD this summer. So classy, so patient, so above it all. He’s the equivalent of a parent who lets the kid cry it out, then carries her to bed and tucks her in.

@JNOV: I love the one that said he just revealed his pre-existing condition: Tourette’s.

Please someone make a GIF of Nancy Pelosi’s “I’ll cut a bitch” look? That was so classic.

@redmanlaw: I got a Kindle about 3 months ago, and I have been downloading and reading the free books, the old classics, and I have just read The Art of War, and amazingly, the wisdom boils down to “don’t let people know what you are up to,” and “pick your battles.” Its only pure emotion, testosterone, anger, shame, that makes people run out and engage when they are in a position of weakness. Its all just plain common sense, logic, rational thought, the hard part is being logical when involved in the emotion of a fight.

Can I come to the RML liberal gun-training camp? Better yet, in October, the Mrs. has to fly out west to Vegas, and we are trying to think of a weekend family trip we can wrap around her business trip, RML, can clan Prom come visit? Serious, this might could be arranged.

@RomeGirl: Yes! That too!

The asshole Wilson has already apologized. I think that may have been the Pickett’s Charge of the insane haters, right there.

Can we get a Wilson thread going? With this graphic: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/09/joe.wilson/

On a junk-food run just now, I was listening to Hannity — for flavor. There was a moment where he and Frank Luntz — yes, that Frank Luntz — were going off on the $900 billion pricetag without any deficits.

An interesting point… followed up by a throw to break with a tease about Michelle Malkin with the latest on Van Jones and as-yet unfired radicals at the White House.

God. They are tone-deaf over there, aren’t they?

JNOV: We might owe Joe Wilson a debt of gratitude. Kind of crystallized the loonies on the right in a two-second outburst, with Black Eagle smacking that down hard.

@JNOV: Wilson’s probably going to be my morning topic, unless somebody wants to jump in tonight. There’s a lot for me to take in, soon as Rachel’s done chattering.

nojo: For example… re-rack Rachel and Barney Frank tonight. Genius.

Slate and Salon seem to me to be fairly good bellwethers, when it comes to MSM editorial response to things, and they respond quick, here is the first take on Salon:

“Everyone — from those just watching President Obama’s speech at home to reporters and politicians from both sides — seems to know that Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., did Obama a big favor Wednesday night. When Wilson shouted “You lie!” at the president, he became the story, and he made all Republicans, and all Republican opposition to Democratic healthcare plans, look childish, more about anger than policy. And he put the GOP back on the defense.”

Slate and Salon basically suck, they are just one notch nearer reality than the MSM, but they respond quick, and if this response is anyhwere near the MSM response, its an Obama win win.

@chicago bureau: I’m usually inclined to keep Barney at arm’s length, but I was giggling. Especially when he compared the outburst to Question Time, pointing out that Parliament includes hanging microphones so the Queen’s subjects won’t miss a heckle.

Judges? It’s official: ten seconds to turning off Ed.

@nojo: I enjoyed his use of “loons.”

@nojo: Fuck Ed.

There’s an abstinence only joke in there somewhere.

More Twitter goodness:

“JC_Christian He apologized, you inbred cracker. rt @patriotforce Mr. Joe Wilson – You are an AMERICAN HERO #p2 #teaparty”

@Mistress Cynica: The dude who booed and screamed liar was from the great state of Lindsay Graham and Mark Sanford…Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC).

@JNOV: Someone posted a screencap of the moment on twitter

http://twitpic.com/h5dev

Pelosi’s expression made my day. Sorry I missed it live (the video that is, i heard it on the radio).

@SanFranLefty: Saw the replay on CNN–the look on Nancy’s face is priceless. I’ve already donated to his opponent’s campaign:http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/19079
Kos put up that link after the speech and Rob Miller has raised over $16,500 as of now.

@Mistress Cynica, @Just Jamie: I think it’s time for me to get a new Nancy avatar. The Painted Ladies are getting old.

@Promnight:
I’m guessing that Barry read Sun Tzu (which I personally think is a better all round political manual than The Prince, but I guess I’m biased.) This is pretty much a classic 4th Gen warfare move based on the words of Mao (who might have been a lousy ruler, but was a pretty good guerrilla leader)

“The enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy camps, we harass; the enemy tires, we attack; the enemy retreats, we pursue”

Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals is pretty much a 4th Gen guerilla warfare manual except using words instead of bullets.

I seem to remember he did this during the primaries, the campaign and now this.

@Mistress Cynica, SanFranLefty: haha! I just saw the video and it’s even funnier. She was looking at Biden when he yelled and her head snapped around so fast, I thought it was gonna come off. Plugz just look down and shook his head like an old man disappointed and sad that his son turned out to be such a loser.

All good points about Poker, Rope-a-Dope, Road Runner — two of which I was hollering during the campaign.

But I’ve completely lost my faith in his ability to execute. I’ll be more than happy to see that faith restored, but that judgment will have to wait until we see what beast emerges from the conference committee.

I will, however, accept good-faith efforts at calling out lies. Website posts don’t count; Gibbs soundbites are provisional depending on content; Barry dropping in on a morning briefing to sound off will earn extra lives.

@Just Jamie: Where’s the linque to the video? Hopefully my new avatar will show up soon.

@Promnight: C’mon out. I have elk hunt planning underway with my brother sometime, probably for several days in early October, but that may be about it. You also have to plan October travel to NM around the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, when there are no hotels to be had for a 60 mile radius around town, incl. Santa Fe. ADD: I also have the U2 concert in Vegas with travel on the 23rd and 24th. You there then?

@ManchuCandidate: Your post on Mao made me think of the disconnect between campaigning and governing. That 4G warfare stuff has been getting some play over at Danger Room, btw.

@chicago bureau: So can I use my wild turkey 101 and extra dry vermouth to make a Manhattan, or will that mix not fly?

ADD: BTW, did you all catch the line where The Sheriff said that “Federal conscience laws will remain in place?”

Oh to have been listening in to the phone call between Wilson and Rahm. The expletives out of Rahm’s mouth…

ADD: For your reference, or Nojo’s post tomorrow, the House Rules of Decorum and Debate.

@SanFranLefty: This is like the night Joe the Plumber was introduced to America — it’s exploding all over the place. And I still haven’t gotten past the Prog Blogs.

So how’d the speech go?

Country still completely full of rubber-room-ready nutters?

Damn, I totally missed this party — a friend had to bail on dinner with me due to his hot water heater exploding, so I didn’t get home until after 8 Commie Coast time. Sounds like Barry said the right words, now to see if he can put his rainbow hooves on the right path.

TJ of sorts:
For any Californians even vaguely considering Mayor McDreamy for Governor, the alternative paper has a scathing article about him.

Funny healthcare tidbit, from CNN. The funny part is that the insurers are against a public option but then take billions in subsidies for “Medicare Advantage”, which has already been mentioned (neither Medicare nor an Advantage).

@redmanlaw: Bourbon manhattans are the bomb, but you needs the sweet red vermouth, or, a mix of half red and half white, dry vermouth. Get yerself some angostura bitters, too. And some Bookers, or Makers Mark.

@blogenfreude: Apparently he was just on message, no creativity at all:

Several Republicans shouted ‘What plan?’ and Rep. Louis Gohmert (Tex.) waved at Obama a handwritten poster he made on a letter-size piece of paper: ‘WHAT PLAN?’ Gohmert then took that down and replaced it with another handmade poster that said ‘WHAT BILL?’

On further, calm, painfully sober reflection, I have decided that Obama missed his last, best chance to pressure congress into passing the bill he wants. He should have drawn a revolver from a shoulder holster, put it to his own head, and said “Next person that moves, the n****r gets it.” Then he could have told them to pass the bill, or he would shoot himself. The republicans would have known he is just crazy enough to do it, too.