Bipartisan Speech, Partisan Session

While the speech was a glamorous one, the behavior in congress was hardly the same case. It was evident the wear and tear from the brutal month of August has taken it's effect on congress. The joint-session was clearly divided by partisan lines, and efforts to reach out across these lines were not evident in either party--excluding the President of course. Yet, while democrats showed their partisanship in the traditional way, by clapping and handing out standing ovations every time the President said something reasonable moving, which in Obama's case was every other sentence. Out of everyone in the democratic congress, my favorite was Nancy Pelosi, who wore a gleaming smile on her face over every word Obama spoke, struggling to contain herself from clapping or standing. Of course, if you watched the speech, you realize she didn't do too fairly with her restraint. On the other hand, she did get one hell of a work out from how any ovations she gave.

While, the democratic partisanship was rather conventional, and humorous, the GOP was a different story entirely. Their partisanship was hardly conventional, and it wasn't humorous. It was hilarious. It made the whole session out to be like a bunch of teenagers in a fight.

There was of course most notably, Sen. Joe Wilson who shouted "You Lie!" in middle of the President's speech, and proceeded to distract himself from the speech and of the glaring eyes of Pelosi and the left--and even the right, with his blackberry. Some of the older members of congress, like Rep. Rosa DeLauro, claimed she had never seen anything like that in her years of congress. Unfortunately, it didn't stop there for Wilson, he has been reprimanded by both sides of the isle non-stop, and his opponent in the 2010 election raised over 100,000 dollars in less than half a day due to Wilson's outburst. Who would of thought two words, two three letter words, uttered at probably the most inopportune time, could cost an election, and possibly a career.

But while Wilson, may be the most outrageous, and doomed, of the partisan efforts, there was still plenty more inappropriate behavior to go around the GOP. From what, I, and most of you who watched the speech live could see, the Republican Party was holding up signs and a stack of papers. The signs were from Republican members such as Louie Gohmert that read "What Bill", "What Plan?", as if he were campaigning for a high school election. The stack of papers were apparently a reference that the Republican Party had a proposed bill--apparently indicating President Obama had not in fact taken their suggestions. Why we haven't heard about these suggestion until they were waved around in the President's face is beyond me. But it seems the President has some apologizing to do--after all, he hasn't really considered the plan of the GOP; a plan they had for a substantial...five minutes. And of course, the partisan nature of the session could be most seen in the discontent faces of the GOP, when ever they weren't texting of course.

If you watched live that's about how partisan it got, however, the Huffington Post reported even more efforts to be uncivil. After the President debunked the "death panel" claim, one republican mumbled loudly enough to be heard at the floor, " Read the Bill!". When the President said he had no interest of putting insurance companies out of business, he got a loud "HA!" from the right side of the isle. Then of course there was the normal, heavy sighing, agitated whispering, and groans at the presidents claims--something that actually is conventional partisanship.

Just how partisan was this session? Well, aside from Obama's speech, the two most bi-partisan moments in the whole joint-session were: John McCain giving his trademark thumbs up to President Obama after he credited McCain with an idea proposed in the bill; The Republican party hooting and hollering, and stomping on the floor as if they were cheering on their team at the Super Bowl, after the President said he was considering the mal-practice reforms the GOP had advocated for.

Woo, bi-partisanship!