On the speech ...

Eloquent and well-presented. Not sure how much it'll do this late in the game. As Jill says:

...

Real reform? I'm from New Jersey. I'm a Mets fan. I've been down this road too many times before. Show me.

...

No shit, being a Met fan for 40-odd years has me accustomed to disappointment. I want reform as much as anyone at the left end but I'm not expecting much. If the Mets happen to make the playoffs in a given year, I consider it gravy. If we get real reform I'll be pleasantly surprised, but the Mets never won anything going away either.

And an addendum: With players like this on your team, it makes it tough to want to take the field:

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"We’ve achieved the victory of not having a vote on the House floor that will give every member a chance to digest what’s in the bill, whether it’s in a markup that occurs in Energy and Commerce or whether it’s as the bill exists right now," she [Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-Insurance Industry)] said. "It is because of the Blue Dog Coalition that there is no floor vote before the August break."

Got that? This is considered a "victory" by the Blue Dogs. That's beyond appalling.

Okay, I'm done with the baseball analogies. I'm starting to sound like George Will.