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New York Times:
Obama's Health Care Speech to Congress — Following is the prepared text of President Obama's speech to Congress on the need to overhaul health care in the United States, as released by the White House. — Madame Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, and the American people:
Discussion:
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Associated Press:
Obama heckled by GOP during speech to Congress — WASHINGTON — The nastiness of August reached from the nation's town halls into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday as President Barack Obama tried to move his health care plan forward. — South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson shouted …
Discussion:
Fox News, Outside The Beltway, TBogg, The Washington Independent, The Democratic Daily and Truthdig
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
In Lawmaker's Outburst, a Rare Breach of Protocol — WASHINGTON — It was a rare breach of the protocol that governs ritualistic events in the Capitol. — In an angry and very audible outburst, Representative Joe Wilson, Republican of South Carolina, interrupted President Obama's speech Wednesday night with a shout of “You lie!”
Discussion:
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Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Video: GOP congressman yells “liar” at Obama; Update: Wilson apologizes — The culprit was South Carolina rep Joe Wilson, who felt moved to act when The One told what was, in fact, a lie. Although certainly not his biggest of the night: Where this jackass gets off lecturing Americans …
CNN:
CNN Poll: Double-digit post-speech jump for Obama plan — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Two out of three Americans who watched President Barack Obama's health care reform speech Wednesday night favor his health care plans — a 14-point gain among speech-watchers, according to a CNN/Opinion Research …
Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:
BREAKING: The News in the Speech — Looks like there's some news in the speech after all. Quite a bit. — On the policy front, President Obama tonight endorses, clearly and unambiguously, a requirement that everybody obtain insurance—that is, an individual mandate. He has not done that before, not this explicitly.
Discussion:
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Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Washington Sketch: Republicans Behaving Badly at Obama Speech — As President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, the nation's rapidly deteriorating discourse hit yet another low. — It happened at 8:40 pm, just after the president vowed to lawmakers …
Discussion:
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CNN:
Wilson apologizes: ‘I let my emotions get the best of me’ — WASHINGTON (CNN) — GOP Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina issued a statement Wednesday night apologizing for his outburst during President Obama's speech to Congress:
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William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
The House Bill Does Cover Illegals — During Barack Obama's speech tonight, Obama said it was untrue that “the reforms I am proposing” cover illegal aliens. Someone in the audience, reportedly South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson, yelled out “liar.” — Now this isn't the British parliament, so I don't agree with shouting out.
Discussion:
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WhiteHouse.gov Blog:
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS ON HEALTH CARE — Washington, D.C. — THE PRESIDENT: Madam Speaker, Vice President Biden, members of Congress, and the American people: — When I spoke here last winter, this nation was facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Discussion:
Christian Science Monitor, The Nation, Clive Crook, GayPatriot, SquareState.net and Dennis the Peasant
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
A voice from the floor on illegal immigrants: ‘Lie’ — One of the most persistent conservative concerns about health care legislation is that it will provide health care to illegal immigrants — and the heated claim spilled onto the floor of President Obama's address to a joint session …
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Time, The Nation, Flopping Aces, Think Progress, The Moderate Voice, Open Congress, The Washington Independent and AMERICAblog News
Mere Rhetoric:
Video Flashback: Dems Shout And Boo At Bush During 2005 SOTU [Video] — The scrupulous FogCityJohn, member of the reality-based Daily Kos community, currently has a top post intriguingly titled “If Joe Wilson Were A Democrat.” He muses thusly: … Remember the time when some deep-feeling member …
Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
‘You lie’: Rep. Wilson apologizes — Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) apologized Wednesday night for heckling President Barack Obama as a liar during the president's speech to a joint session of Congress. — Wilson shouted to the president “you lie” after Obama said illegal immigrants would not benefit …
Discussion:
The Hill, Nice Deb, Donklephant, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Reaction
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Obama: I used to say 47 million uninsured. Now, it's 30 million. — In his speech tonight, the president introduced a new number in the health care debate. Remember all those statements from Democrats, including Barack Obama himself, that 47 million Americans are without health insurance?
Chris Reed / America's Finest Blog:Sure, he was a rude jerk. But Rep. Joe Wilson has a point.
Discussion:
Instapundit
Mark Blumenthal / Pollster.com:Instant Reaction Polls: A Pre-Speech Primer
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The Daily Dish
Shelby Grad / L.A. Now:
O.C. Assemblyman Duvall resigns amid recorded sexual comments — Orange County Assemblyman Michael Duvall, who was caught on an open mike making sexual comments, resigned today. — “I am deeply saddened that my inappropriate comments have become a major distraction for my colleagues in the Assembly …
RELATED:
Zachary Roth / TPMMuckraker:GOP Lawmaker's Graphic Sex-Bragging Caught On Tape
Discussion:
The Confluence, The Gun Toting Liberal, Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo, Navel Gazing, Think Progress and Daily Kos
WhiteHouse.gov Blog:
THE WHITE HOUSE — Below is the text of the letter from Senator Edward M. Kennedy referenced by the President in tonight's address to a Joint Session of Congress. — Dear Mr. President, — I wanted to write a few final words to you to express my gratitude for your repeated personal kindnesses to me …
RELATED:
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:Kennedy Letter to Obama: At Stake Is the Character of Our Country
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
Michael Goldfarb / Weekly Standard:
Go, Hillary, Go! — The boss hears from two sources that Hillary Clinton is considering stepping down as Secretary of State this fall in order to run for Governor of New York.
Discussion:
Commentary
Jerry Seper / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: Inquiry opened into New Black Panther case — The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility has begun an inquiry into the dismissal in May of a civil complaint against the New Black Panther Party and two of its members who disrupted a Philadelphia polling place during last year's presidential elections.
William Kristol / PostPartisan:
The Real Public Option: Start Over — So President Obama invited himself into our living rooms tonight...why? Not to address questions of war and peace — even though we are fighting two wars overseas, and even though an avowed enemy and terror sponsor is rushing towards nuclear weapons.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Cantor attentive to Blackberry [UPDATED with video] — A Democrat, amused at the shots of Eric Cantor working his Blackberry as the president talked about the cost of health care a few minutes ago, passes on this item from last week headed, “Cantor: GOP will be ‘attentive’ during Obama speech”:
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