Quote of the Day

"Glenn Beck for President! Joe Wilson for VP!"

rd1776, on Twitter

Conservatives alienated mainstream voters in the public sphere. They now can use Twitter to make insane statements.

Quote of Day

"Joe Wilson on camera signing autographs of picture of him yelling "you lie." R u kidding me?"

New York Times's visual columnist Charles M. Blow, on Twitter.

Facts About Rep. Joe Wilson

Adele M. Stan of Alternet has compiled a series of facts about Joint Sessions of Congress screamer Rep. Joe Wilson. For instance: Wilson was an aide to the late Senator Strom Thurmond. The latter is famous for being a longtime advocate of segregation.

Side note: actual name is Addison Graves Wilson.

Litbrit is raising money for Wilson's Democratic opponent Rob Miller. Go check out her ActBlue page Higher Life Forms for Rob Miller.

Polling Breakdown of Obama's Joint Sessions of Congress Speech

The Democracy Corps poll Obama helped himself greatly with last night's speech. The most significant gain was independent support of Obama's plan jumping from 46 percent to 66 percent. Rep. Joe Wilson yelling created a backlash.

Click the image to enlarge.

Joe Wilson Tea Bagging For Dollars

Rep. Joe Wilson is using his misinformed accusation that President Obama's health care plan will provide health care for illegal immigrants. PolitiFact.com rated Wilson's, "You lie!" accusation as false.

Most illegal immigrants are also now excluded from Medicaid, the government-run health care for the poor. We didn't see anything that would change that.

One place where the bill does mention immigration status is for "affordability credits." These are tax credits for people of modest means need to buy health insurance. The credits would help them buy insurance on a national health insurance exchange. The bill specifically says that people in the United States illegally are not eligible for tax credits, on page 132, section 242.

There is nothing in the current bills that specifically states illegal immigrants not being allowed to buy private or public insurance. That is assuming a migrant worker, without the money to live here legally, would financially be able to buy health coverage. That is assuming a lot. The tea bag element of the Republican Party is treating Wilson as the savior. Attacks are more important than facts.

Congressional candidate Rob Miller has raised $450,000 since last night. Litbrit has started an ActBlue page for Miller. Knowing Litbrit, she finds it offensive that Wilson's is using his uncivility to pimp for dollars.

Update: a White House official told Fox News illegal immigrants would be prohibited from getting health coverage though the insurance exchanges.

Quote of the Day

"Old white southern congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC), confused, shouts at Obama to get off his lawn."

HunterDK, on Twitter.

Live Blogging Obama Joint Sessions of Congress Speech

8:02 Michelle Obama is in th House. Do I hear boos?

8:03 Dennis Kucinich really does look like a Vulcan.

8:04 Here comes the Cabinet.

8:11 It's showtime. Still can't see Obama. Is he in a Congressional mosh pit?

Obama needs to be better than Bill Clinton's speech in 1993. Not an easy task.

8:16 Pelosi presents Obama. Let's get to the substance.

8:17 Obama reminds America about the financial crisis. Promises jobs to Americans. Good luck with that. Nothing happening until consumer confidence increases.

8:18 Obama: "Pulled economy back from the brink." Not inspiring.

8:19: It might be me but I don't sense the energy in Obama.

8:21 This is like a rewrite of Clinton's 1993 speech. The themes are the same. Minus Clinton's passion.

8:23 Some passion on speaking about the woman with breast cancer.

Dave Weigel, on Twitter.

Everyone who had "acne" in your speech drinking game, down it!

Applause for single payer. Obama wasn't happy about that.

8:27 Obama bragging about drug companies now supporting reform. Obama promised to veto Medicare negoting for chaeper drugs.

Passion with "now is the time."

8:31 I say it now. This speech is good enough to be the difference maker. Obama sounds like he's reading a bedtime story.

8:33 I don't see progressives going for insurance exchanges. Did the Heritage Foundation write the speech?

8:34 John McCain has good ideas about health care reform? That Obama is such a kidder.

8:36 Pitching consumer protection and exchanges.

8:37 Obama tackles death panels "It is a lie plain and simple." YES!

8:38 No health care reform money for abortions. I am against Obama on this. Abortion is a health care issue.

8:40 Obama talking about competition and insurance companies "cherry picking."

downwithtyranny, on Twitter.

Howard Dean would never say "I have no interest in putting insurance companies out of business. They provide a legitimate service." WRONG!

8:41 Obama pitching a scaled down version of the public option.

8:43 Obama lecturing his "progressive friends."

8:46 Obama pitching public option as deficit neutral. In the long term it will save money. In the short term, that is too big of a promise.

8:49 Eric Cantor busy texting during speech. Cantor vowed he stay off his Blackberry.

Side note: Pelosi is pissed at the heckler. She will find him.

8:52 Obama feels the GOP love for tort reform shout out.

8:53 Hillary Clinton doesn't look sold on tort reform.

8:54 Obama: "I will not waste time" for people playing politics.

Obama: "We will call you out..."

8:57 Republicans are going to attack Obama for invoking Ted Kennedy's name. I can hear Hannity now.

8:59 Is someone holding hand over camera. This feels like public access tv.

9:01 Obama running through Republican "leading to socialism" greatest hits.

9:02: "We did not come to fear the future." Good stuff. "I still believe!"

Oliver Willis, on Tweeter.

House should formally condemn member who heckled POTUS

Agreed.

Obama ended strong. The White House needs to hammer Obama's message and go on the offensive. This is ninth inning time.

Update: Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) is the heckler that yelled "you lie." It's bad when elected officials are acting like tea baggers.