Among the most heartwarming events seen in many years on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives came last week when Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., made an unexpected return to cast her first vote since being shot in the head in January. House members broke out in sustained and loud cheers, surrounded Giffords with unalloyed affection and displayed a deeply felt bipartisan joy in her amazing recovery. She still has a long way to go, to be sure, but her determination and grace in the face of extreme adversity ought to inspire even the most cynical of hearts.

Unfortunately, this happy scene represented an exception rather the rule in Congress during the tumultuous weeks of leading to Tuesday’s debt ceiling deal. And while Republicans certainly used their share of tough language against President Obama, the most notable rhetorical excesses of the past week came from by congressional Democrats who ought to have been doubly embarrassed to have spoken during the week of Giffords’ triumphant return.