Home of the Brave

Freshman Congressman-elect John Hall (D-NY, 19th District) returns to The Colbert Report to sing our national anthem (via Susie):

(here’s the earlier Colbert/Hall duet. Hall is the former lead singer of the band Orleans)

This is the first time in six years that I’ve listened to the national anthem without cringing. Listening to it now, I’m close to shedding tears of joy.

And I can’t stop playing it. I think that’s because this version of the anthem involves something we haven’t seen in Washington for six years — two voices twined together, moving in melody and counterpoint, working together. This is democracy; this is a symbol of the Democratic Party: a party of engagement and complexity, in sharp contrast to the monotone rigidity of the Fox News Republicans.

And, hell, it’s just plain good to see these guys smile.

Congrats to Congressman Hall, and to all of those, like Lizzy, who worked so hard on his campaign.