This show is made possible entirely by the support of the listeners.

Find out what you can do in the support box at BestOfTheLeft.com.

Now welcome to the award-winning BestOfTheLeft podcast with clips today from Countdown, The

Bugle, The Political Scene, The Rachel Maddo Show, Media Matters, On The Media, Counter

Spin, Wait-wait-don't-tell me and the Progressive.

The first hand the President Obama shook this morning after signing the healthcare reform bill into

law was that of Marcellus Owens, an 11 year old boy who in recent weeks has become a national

advocate for reform in memory of his mother Tiffany. She lost her life to a treatable illness because

she did not have insurance and could not afford the basic care that she needed. Today, the fifth

grader Marcellus wearing a tie matching the President's said, it's tough not having my mom around,

but she's been with me in spirit every time I talk. I hope I've made her proud.

Marcellus was standing at the President's side when he put pen to paper, make that pen's plural

of 22 of them, each of them an invaluable gift the President traditionally gives to the luckiest

and most powerful dignitaries in the room with his signature President Obama made what once seemed

impossible, the law of the land. Today, after almost a century of trying, today after over a year

of debate. Today, after all the votes have been tallied, health insurance reform becomes law in the

United States of America. Earlier in the proceedings, Vice President Biden still not accustomed to

standing near open microphones after he introduced the President Biden apparently let a very strong

word slip into his feelings about the moment. Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United

States of America, Barack Obama. No bleeping necessary from there on out, nearly every

President since Teddy Roosevelt has tried to enact health care reform of some kind, the 44th

President of the United States thanked all of them, plus Teddy Kennedy.

...