Well, At Least They Talked

It was an 80 minute therapy session American-style. Last night, President Obama faced 140 House Republicans who think that the President is a far-left socialist/communist/fascist. Needless to say, it got a little testy at times:

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If this entire political rehab session doesn't go down in history, then certainly Obama's "Bolshevik plot" quip will. I applaud Obama for fighting the whiners who still push the 75-year-old "socialized medicine" smear against health care reform.

This is the right way to debate major issues, and President Obama has the intellect and patience to stand up there, answer questions, reach across the aisle, and hold everybody accountable. I can't help but contrast this with Bush's prefabricated townhall meetings stuffed with supporters in order to give a false impression of public approval. Bush didn't have the brains or balls for real confrontation.

Neither did the House Republicans last night. Apparently, they have a few regrets about letting the cameras roll. They tried to bully, but they came across as meek and thin-skinned. That's not good for the poll numbers I guess.

But hearing Republicans regurgitate their talking points reminds me of the sad fact that we are now stuck in 4-year campaign cycles complete with divisiveness and scheming. That's not good for any of us.