AL FRANKEN TEABAGS THE TEABAGGERS

Health care reform sure brings out the frightened crazies. Ill-informed, and whipped into a frenzy by right wing pundits, they cry and scream and repeat cliches and talking points. You've got to hand it to them. They sure work terribly hard against their own interests.

Once in a while truth prevails. A glimmer of hope brightens the darkness. You wonder if maybe, just maybe, logic and intelligence can overcome fear and ignorance--at least some of the time. Here, Senator Al Franken speaks with an angry crowd of teabaggers. He would have made Paul Wellstone proud.

Dusty Rice, who posted the clip, describes the scene:

"I got to witness something really special. About a dozen tea party activists had staked out Sen. Al Franken's booth, and confronted him loudly when he arrived. But within minutes, he'd turned an unruly crowd into a productive conversation on health care. The discussion went from insurance reform, to the public option, to veterans benefits, to cap and trade. He made a few laugh and even told a touching story that moved a few to tears. A whole lot of common ground was found."