TheNextReport

America's Uncivil War As the debate over health care reform appears to reach the home stretch, one wonders how historians will look back on what has proven to be a sordid chapter in American political life. There were news reports the other day that Rick Perry, the Texas Republican governor, was so incensed at the prospect of a government-run health care option that he mentioned the possibility of having the country's second largest state secede from the union. Political grandstanding aside, the governor's remark has reminded us of a sobering truth: nearly 150 years after the end of the war between the states, America is still fighting the same old battles - and some are now being fought by the elderly. The bizarre spectacle of the town hall meetings this summer where angry, aging, right-wing activists railed against the health care reform plan of nation's first African-American president was a telling piece of political theater. We live in a country where pensions hav

The GOP on Fantasy Island After last night's health care speech by President Obama to a joint session of Congress there could be little doubt: Barak Obama is a man for all seasons. I was prepared to roll out the cannons and take aim at an administration that has essentially allowed right-wing hooligans to define the debate on health care for the entire nation. At the end of what was certainly one of the most moving speeches of his presidency, Mr. Obama had managed to solidify his base, keep an open door to bi-partisanship, and leave even his ideological enemies somewhat in awe. One enemy clearly not in awe was the South Carolina congressman Joe Wilson who blatantly broke the traditions of congressional decorum by yelling at the president, calling him a liar in the middle of his speech. The contrast between the calm intelligence of Obama and the maniacal behavior of the representative was stark and will surely be the subject of national discussion in the coming days. There is little