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Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) rehearses her response on behalf of the GOP to President Obama’s State of the Union address. Odds of a subtle yet unmistakable reference to hog castration are currently running at 1-4.

Paul Waldman is a weekly columnist and senior writer for The American Prospect. He also writes for the Plum Line blog at The Washington Post and The Week and is the author of Being Right Is Not Enough: What Progressives Must Learn From Conservative Success. Follow @paulwaldman1