Live Blogging the Joint Session Speech!

What a festive-looking day on the House floor. An actual analysis post will come later, but this is obviously the en vogue way of covering such events. They're a bit behind schedule, since the cabinet seems to be greatly enjoying their grand entrance.

8:11PM Eastern: Here comes the chief! Over-under on how long it takes to actually get to the podium: 5 minutes.
8:16PM: ...and we're off, after a jaunty 5 minutes of clapping and hand-shaking!
8:17PM: In case you forgot, the economy still has us collectively bent over. How 'bout that.
8:23PM: Focusing on middle class folks; no, they're not all welfare kings. We're the "only developed-nation" that doesn't have this figured out, and people are 'losing their insurance at a rate of 14,000 per day.' Followed by those horrible "people-dying-because-insurance-companies-are-big-old-meanies" stories, for Personal Connection!
8:27PM: Leaving any notion of single-payer by the wayside; 'let's build on what works, because it isn't our business to change what's working for most people.' Again, I'm not entirely sure what the objectionable bit is.
8:28PM: 'Too many people have used this as an opportunity for cheap political shots... the time for games has passed!'
8:30PM: Oh man, the plan! There shalt be details, he says!

• Ok, we're all aware that this won't change what you have, yeah?
• No more pre-existing condition denials
• No more recision (cutting off coverage when you get sick for BS reasons)
• No more annual/lifetime caps
• Preventative care!

Now for the important part: Those that don't have it.

• Marketplace system for policies, in the same vein as Congress or businesses' systems.
• Tax credits, 'course. And John McCain is just such a fine upstanding citizen that we should all buy him a beer.
• Individual + business mandates

Ok, so far this is all unanimous across the bills that have passed through committee already. 'Since there's consensus on this, we will definitely pass SOMETHING. We'll iron out the rest, but this stuff is hugely significant regardless.'
8:35PM: Boehner is still very, very orange.
8:38PM: Republicans take a page from their constituents' books and start bitching when Obama says illegal immigrants won't be covered. Great, guys.
8:43PM: Public Option! Just as I was typing about how we've heard this all before. Excellent analogy with public and private universities... UCLA didn't drive us out of business, thank God.
8:45PM: Mentions the trigger, and co-ops... "But, if you still cannot find affordable coverage, we WILL offer you a choice." Sounds like a ringing, continuing endorsement of the public-option, without actually committing to it. Can't expect much else, really.
8:47PM: 'It will have a bit in the bill that requires us to cut spending if the savings don't come through. Also, thanks turds for not paying up for YOUR spending.'
8:48PM: Silly Eric Cantor can't keep his thumbs off his Twitter-machine.
8:50PM: We won't privatize Medicare? Didn't know that was even on the table.
8:53PM: NEW STUFF! Starting the process of reforming malpractice laws, which is a big GOP favorite. I like that idea quite a lot. Very kind gesture on his part.
8:54PM: 'I want every idea you have, but I won't waste a minute on any of you that have decided that politically it would be best if this died.'
8:57PM: Kennedy. This means we're wrapping up?
8:59PM: "This will express the 'character of our country.'" 'It's gonna be tough, guys, but this is a moral obligation. Kennedy was driven by empathy, not just an expansion of government. Compassion is not a partisan phenomenon.'
9:03PM: ...and we're out of here!

I think he's done a great job of laying out what feels like a broad consensus. He's positioned it in such a way that we're 90% on board together, and that the public option is little more than a speed bump to be ironed out. All I can say is I genuinely hope that many people tuned in. In the room, of course, it was harshly partisan (one GOP congressman yelled very audibly, "You lie!" in reference to Obama's assertion that illegal immigrants wouldn't be covered).

I'm glad he threw in the bit about malpractice reform. Without any new policies this could have felt hollow.

In other news, one could have basically written the Republican Response from the talking points we've all heard a million times recently. Not really worth further analysis.

Update: In case you missed it, here's Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) giving us an excellent "Oh-no-he-di'nt" moment:

This, to me, is simply stunning. I expect the rules of public discourse to fall apart a bit in a contentious battle like this, and when you have citizens that are out of the loop feeling under attack. When you are one of the most powerful people in the country, though, with hundreds of thousands of constituents relying on you to represent their region and interests, you fail utterly when you fall to such a level.