Barack Obama: “Today is a victory for all the veterans' organizations who fought for this legislation.”

The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president.

Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.

I think when we act on that basis, it doesn't always work out, but over time things do get better.

It is a decision about how do we face and embrace this finite amount of time we have on the planet.