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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!”
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 …
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, Liberal Values, TBogg, The Washington Independent, The Democratic Daily, Balloon Juice and Doug Ross
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 …
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:
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 …
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.
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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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:
Think Progress, The Nation, Daily Kos, Time, Flopping Aces, The Moderate Voice, Open Congress, The Washington Independent and QandO
John / Power Line:
Obama's Speech: Did It Help Him? — From a policy standpoint, there was nothing new in President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress tonight. It can only be assessed, therefore, in political terms. I read the transcript rather than watching it, but the speech struck me as reasonably effective.
Discussion:
The Strata-Sphere
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.
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The Hill, Christian Science Monitor, The Nation, Clive Crook, GayPatriot and SquareState.net
Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:‘You lie’: Rep. Wilson apologizes
Discussion:
The Hill, Nice Deb, FiveThirtyEight, Donklephant, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and No More Mister Nice Blog
WhiteHouse.gov Blog:THE OBAMA PLAN: STABILITY & SECURITY FOR ALL AMERICANS
Discussion:
Associated Press, Open Left, TalkLeft, The Atlantic Politics Channel and The Moderate Voice
Dan Balz / Washington Post:With Health-Care Reform on the Line, Obama Reframes Critical Debate
Discussion:
ABCNEWS
Mickey Kaus / Kausfiles:
Obama's Big Speech: Triangulation + Airbrushed Orszagism — Expectations: Low! ... Expectations: Exceeded. A moderately effective speech. ... 1) Triangulation: Almost always works! Obama pushed off, most notably, against single payer but also against Dems who demand a public option.
Discussion:
The Rhetorican
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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 …
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.
Stephen Farrell / At War:
The Reporter's Account: 4 Days With the Taliban — Stephen Farrell, a reporter for The New York Times, and Sultan M. Munadi, an Afghan journalist working with him, were kidnapped by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan on Saturday. In a British raid to free them early Wednesday, Mr. Munadi was killed.
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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.
Discussion:
LA Observed
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Shelby Grad / L.A. Now:O.C. Assemblyman Duvall resigns amid recorded sexual comments
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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
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.
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