walsh. i want to thank you both for joining us tonight. and maureen, i want to show our audience some of what you had to say when you announced how you were going to vote. >> i too don't want to wag my finger about which way wrr going to vote on this. it's certainly an issue of conscience to me, and certainly one that i have been weighing very heavily for the last few weeks. you know, i was married for 23 years to the love of my life and he died 6 years ago and, you know, i'm a lonely old widow right now. i'm 51 years old, looking for a boyfriend, not having much luck with that. and yet, when i think of my husband and i think of all the wonderful years we had and the wonderful fringe benefit of having three beautiful children,

this is state representative maureen walsh. she is a republican representing washington's 16th district. she came to this from a very personal place as somebody who has been married but who then lost her husband. listen. >> you know, i was married for 23 years to the love of my life. and he died six years ago. and, you know, i'm a lonely old widow right now. i'm 51 years old looking for a boyfriend, not having much whether you can that. and, yet, when i think of my husband and i think of all the wonderful years we have and the wonderful fringe benefit of having three beautiful children, i don't miss the sex, you know? to me, that's kind of what this boils down to. i don't miss that. i mean, i certainly miss it, but i don't -- it's not -- it's certainly not the aspect of that

walsh. i want to thank you both for joining us tonight. and maureensay when you announced how you were going to vote. >> i too don't want to wag my finger about which way wrr going to vote on this. it's certainly an issue of conscience to me, and certainly one that i have been weighing very heavily for the last few weeks. you know, i was married for 23 years to the love of my life and he died 6 years ago and, you know, i'm a lonely old widow right now. i'm 51 years old, looking for a boyfriend, not having much luck with that. and yet, when i think of my husband and i think of all the wonderful years we had and the wonderful fringe benefit of having three beautiful children, i don't miss the sex, you know? and to me, that's kind of what this boils down to. is i don't miss that, i mean, i certainly miss it, but i don't -- it's not -- it is certainly not the aspect of that relationship, that incredible bond that i had with that human being that i really, really genuinely wish i still had. and so i just, i think to myself, how could i deny anyone the righ

with that speech from maureen walsh after all the really bad post primary speeches we've been suffering through the past couple weeks that, speech from her renewed my faith in political speeches. democrat and republican. best new thing in the world today. now it'sord with lawrence o'donnell." have a great night. >> great news for the country today. the number of people seeking unemployment assistance hit a four-year low today. so now the republicans can start yelling about what they hate paying for even more than they hate paying for unemployment compensation, birth control pills. >> remember when we talked about jobs? >> the culture war, they seem to be driving santorum's surge. >> for days republicans have been bashing the president on birth control. >> can social issues eclipse fiscal issues? >> this is not even about contraception for me. >> this is not a women's rights issue. this is a religious liberty issue. >> they may alienate catholic voters. >> this is my plea, just own it. >> whether the dust settles here, it's this president who is standing with women. >> the republican can