Three things have been crystal clear during this entire health reform debate:
a) President Obama will sign a bill at some point
b) He'll make serious compromises to do so
c) Many people will be dismayed by (a), (b), or both
Perhaps the anti-reform forces will manage to thwart a bill, but I doubt it. This speech marks the beginning of Obama's end game, and look for him to build momentum in the coming days.
As this process has progressed, we've learned many sobering lessons: that the rightwing noise machine is alive and well; that old media can hold its own against new media; and that the Democratic majority is tenuous.
But most importantly, we've learned that conservatives are more eager to make war than to provide health coverage for all Americans.
The clip of Rep. Joe Wilson (R - S.C.) calling the president a liar will no doubt be played incessantly. It encapsulates so much of what is wrong with the Limbaugh-Beck-Hannity-Coulter-Cheney-Bush wing of the Republican Party: ready and willing to send our troops to battle, but unwilling to work with Democrats to address the big issues facing our country and our world.
