Oddly, I’ve received a few lessons in how powerfully important this bill is from conservative talk radio. Often, running errands on the back country roads where I live, dialing in Limbaugh’s former cohort is my only form of diversion short of counting cows.

The right-wing commentariat weren’t just opposed, they were outraged, beyond furious, white hot with dismay.

They convinced me to dig in and explore just how significant the bill is — and I came out of that process with a sense of optimism for our economy and for the Democratic Party that I haven’t felt in a long time.