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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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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:
Facing South, Achenblog, Mediaite, Salon, James Fallows, Riehl World View and Washington Times
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:
Outside The Beltway, Fox News, TBogg, The Washington Independent, Balloon Juice, The Democratic Daily and Truthdig
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 …
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 …
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 …
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:
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 …
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:
Bloomberg, Hullabaloo, Politics Daily, Swampland, Talking Points Memo, Democracy in America, Open Congress, TPMCafe and Reason
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.
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 …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Think Progress, Time, The Nation, Flopping Aces, The Moderate Voice, Open Congress, The Washington Independent, QandO and AMERICAblog News
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, FiveThirtyEight, Donklephant, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Reaction
Mark Blumenthal / Pollster.com:
Instant Reaction Polls: A Pre-Speech Primer
Instant Reaction Polls: A Pre-Speech Primer
Discussion:
The Daily Dish
Karl Rove / Wall Street Journal:
Obama's Big Political Gamble — Red-state Democrats are being asked to risk their seats. — Printer — Friendly — Millions of Americans watched President Barack Obama's speech last night to a joint session of Congress. Much of it was familiar, having been delivered in at least 111 speeches …
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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.
Los Angeles Times:
Assemblyman Mike Duvall resigns after his sex comments are broadcast — KCAL-TV in Los Angeles played a tape of the married Yorba Linda Republican speaking about sex with two women. He apparently did not realize a microphone was on during a legislative hearing.
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Shelby Grad / L.A. Now:
O.C. Assemblyman Duvall resigns amid recorded sexual comments
O.C. Assemblyman Duvall resigns amid recorded sexual comments
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KCBS-TV, The Confluence, TPMMuckraker, Navel Gazing, The Bilerico Project, Pam's House Blend, Calitics, Washington Monthly, FishBowlLA, theblogprof and Hot Air
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Morning Fix: First (and Second) Thoughts on Obama Address — The Fix was up late — for us — last night as we tweeted President Obama's health care address to a joint session of Congress and then offered our first thoughts on the proceedings. — Having slept on it, we now bring you two additional — call them second — thoughts.
Discussion:
Riehl World View
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 …
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Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Kennedy Letter to Obama: At Stake Is the Character of Our Country
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