Honestly. If you haven’t heard yet, the guy running things here in the States just gave a speech on health care insurance reform. He used this opportunity (addressing a joint session of Congress) to clear up some misunderstandings and outright lies that have been told about what sorts of things he wants passed as part of a comprehensive health care insurance reform bill. One of them was the assertion that people who are in the US illegally will be covered. Obama stood at the podium and said that was not true. As he was saying so, Congressman Joe Wilson (R, South Carolina) yelled “LIE!” at him.
Let me restate that.
President Obama, leader of the free world, was HECKLED. In his own country. By, in essence, someone from a different department in the same company. Wanna see? Brace yourself.
I also enjoyed this analysis on DailyKos.
Say what you will about President Obama. He was elected fair and square (unlike the last guy, this was a clear cut victory). In fact, I encourage people to say what they will. It’s what makes this country great. And the same thing I keep saying holds true here: When situations were reversed, this wasn’t how the last guy got treated. For the record, the last guy actually DID address a joint session of Congress and lie. But since he was THE PRESIDENT he was shown a modicum of respect and people were quiet.
In the entire speech, there were points where Obama would say something and people would stand up and clap. Not everyone in the chamber. Some of them stayed seated and some didn’t even clap. I don’t mean things that were obviously democratic, I mean things like this:
…that concern and regard for the plight of others – is not a partisan feeling. It is not a Republican or a Democratic feeling. It, too, is part of the American character. Our ability to stand in other people’s shoes. A recognition that we are all in this together; that when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a helping hand. A belief that in this country, hard work and responsibility should be rewarded by some measure of security and fair play; and an acknowledgement that sometimes government has to step in to help deliver on that promise.
and this:
That’s not what we came here to do. We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it. I still believe we can act even when it’s hard. I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility, and gridlock with progress. I still believe we can do great things, and that here and now we will meet history’s test.
Got NO applause from Republicans. Which clearly means that something I was thinking before and used to kid about is actually true: Republicans only care about people UNTIL they are born. After that you’re on your own. Come back when you’ve amasssed enough zeroes and we’ll talk.
Again, say what you will about Obama or his policies or his birthplace or whatever you want. Feel free to disagree. But if you can’t do so in a CIVIL fashion, you are not allowed to be part of the debate.
Or, bluntly: You know that hole you put pie in? Shut it. Grownups are talking.
4 Comments
Amen sister! You tell ‘em like it is. I’m SO disgusted with the Repugnicans right now – they can dish it, but they can’t take it. Democrats are way too polite for their own good. But, hopefully civility will win out in the end. Both common sense and common courtesy are misnamed – they’re not at all common any more. (Someone wake me when this nightmare is over – oh wait, I’m not asleep, damn!)
good one, @verso. good one.
oh, @CongJoeWIlson’s site? down, down, down… (but not before i got an e-mail off to him, going, “shame, shame, shame…”)
and his washington office phone number? bizzy, bizzy, bizzy…
heh.
Good words. No matter who the president is or what sort of margin he won by, when the man (or one day woman) is talking keep your yap shut. If you want to speak you’ll be given an opportunity.
Oh and if you are fool enough to say something (a premeditated something) don’t be a punk and offer up some lame apology that you don’t really mean.
I think that was part of my issue with it, he can’t even stand up for himself which just makes him look WORSE. He called Obama a liar in front of the whole world (do you think nobody outside the US watches an address to a joint session?) and it turns out he’s wrong? If he was right he shoulda stuck to his guns, and if not he shouldn’t have said anything. He comes out looking bad either way.