Ramparts

I'm grumpy tonight, for obvious reasons, but I am finding some cheer in this picture over at National Review. It's a crowd outside the Capitol building cheering some Republican Congressmen who have just hung a "Don't Tread On Me" flag out the window: Protesters Have Some Friends At The Capitol

This really is a unique moment. Large crowds almost never gather outside the Capitol on the day that legislation is passed in order to signal their opposition, yet that is what happened this weekend. It didn't happen with TARP, comprehensive immigration reform, the privatization of social security, the authorization for the Iraq War, or the Patriot Act to name some of the more emotional votes that have been taken in the last several years. I honestly don't think the opposition could have made itself more plainer or clearer, but the Dems are quite comfortable disregarding the opposition entirely.

Normally, I would be pessimistic about the prospects for repealing the health care bill, but with the level of opposition and engagement that we've seen this year ... it could happen. But it would require a level of dedication and determination that voters and Republican politicians have not previously displayed.