Dr K on big moment of O's leftism in speech

Krauthammer's Take [NRO] On the two most important political moments of 2009:

It began with this wonderful festival of inauguration day, where I think the pride people felt across the country was near universal. Electing the first African-American was a transcendence of our history, a vindication really of the American experiment.

One other reason why the joy was universal — a more cynical one — was it wasn't until a month later, at his address to a joint session of Congress, that Obama revealed how much of a leftist he is. Remember, in the transition, his appointments were rather centrist — his economic advisors and his national security team. But he made a remarkable speech to Congress in February in which he basically said: I am here to do something. I want to remake American health care, education and energy, which meant turning America into more of a European social democracy than the America that we had known.

It was the most radical speech I think a president has given in our lifetime. It was a bold, courageous declaration. He's not hiding his intentions but that's why we have had such a clamorous year with so much discord and high, high decibel debate.