Gabby Giffords Last Night

She is resigning this week from Congress, so this is perhaps the last time we will see her at a State of the Union. She says she will return after she focuses on her recovery, but you never know. Knowing that, these scenes were very emotional:

My Reaction

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I enjoyed the multiple digs at Romney, whom the White House clearly thinks will still be the GOP nominee this fall. But the way he wrapped tax fairness as patriotic (and it really is, because the selfish greed of the 1% is not in any way patriotic), for the first time making the Democratic case that if you give tax cuts to the wealthy you have to take away a hell of a lot from everyone else, was brilliant.

“It’s Not My Job.”

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To John McCain's credit, and Sarah Palin's chagrin, John McCain did correct people in the audiences of his speeches and town halls who wrongly believed that the President was a Muslim. To someone like John McCain, where integrity, honor and truth seem to matter a great deal, I suppose not doing so, and allowing such malicious disinformation that is fostered on many corners of the right to grow, was a rubicon he could not cross. Rick Santorum has no such trouble.

Mitt Romney And Self-Deportation

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Romney was asked how he would reconcile his pledge that, as president, he wouldn't order mass deportations of undocumented immigrants with his promise to crack down on illegal immigration. His answer: “self-deportation.” I guess they'll just load up their SUV, strap the dog to the top, and go somewhere else.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., Jan. 24, 2012

Little of interest in the Senate today. There's a bill from the Joint Sunset Committee eliminating some state agencies, boards, or committees that no longer serve a public purpose. Or perhaps never served a public purpose. Not that they're the only ones... There's more action in the House today. Should be an interesting roll call on HB 222(Jaques), which would require the Department of Labor to ‘publish the names of employers who have violated the Workplace Fraud Act, by misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor or otherwise.’ Let's see who favors screwing the little guy by claiming that an employee really isn't an 'employee'.

ANOTHER Republican Debate Open Thread

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If you're watching (NBC at 9pm)... this thread's for you. Here are my thoughts: Romney's been talkin' tough all day. Tonight he has to bring that trash talk to Newt - as he's been promising to do all day. My first thought was that Newt would take Mitt's attacks and shove them back down his throat, and then I thought... maybe not. Okay, hear me out. Mitt Romney absolutely stinks at attacks. His delivery is really, really bad. Perhaps Newt plays the "reasonable" guy staring in amazement at the bumbling lunatic.