Obama Defends Priorities, Makes Plea for Civility By Peter Slevin May 2, 2010 ANN ARBOR, MICH. -- Reflecting on 15 months as the leader of a polarized nation, President Obama delivered a spirited defense of government Saturday and issued a call for civility in a direct rebuttal to Republicans and "tea party" activists who have attacked his politics and priorities. Obama called for greater tolerance in a "poisonous political climate." He criticized both ends of the political spectrum for using words such as "socialist," "fascist" and "Soviet-style takeover" and lamented that such thinking has begun "to creep into the center...
