It’s always possible that the Republicans will realize that their virulent opposition is not doing the country any good, and at least be obstructionist in a more cheerful way. Although Wednesday night, when the TV cameras caught the House minority leader, John Boehner, he looked as though he had just swallowed a cough drop. [writing in today's New York Times column, "So Much for Civility"]She also identifies who that was who called out that the President was lying:
It would seem that Mr. Obama won't be getting the kind of civil response from "the other side of the aisle" that his gracious, respectful speech assumed might be possible from serious adults about to stop bickering and be constructive.Joe Wilson, a member of Congress from South Carolina...loudly called the president a liar.
This was when Obama said illegal immigrants would not be covered by health care reform. It seemed like a pretty tame remark for so much disrespect, given all the recent uproar over the president’s alleged ability to brainwash elementary school students.
You might have expected Wilson to hold his tongue and wait to see if Obama would yell “Marxism is a good thing!” and send the commerce committee racing off to give workers control over the means of production.
At least Mr. Wilson is reported to have apologized (see "Obama Accepts Wilson’s Apology" on the New York Times blog, "The Caucus"):
The outburst was a political gift to the White House, underscoring Mr. Obama’s point that the health care debate has been plagued by incivility. Mr. Obama could not seem to resist returning to that point on Thursday, just as soon as he gave Mr. Wilson a pass.
"I do think that, as I said last night, we have to get to a point where we can have a conversation about big important issues that matter to the American people without vitriol, without name calling," the president said. Americans, he said, "are turned off when they see people using wild accusations, false claims, name calling sharply ideological approaches to solving problems. They want pragmatism."
As for Mr. Wilson, he said in an interview on CNN that he was told by the Republican leadership to apologize, and that he was "very grateful" the president had accepted.
Ah yes, the call for Civility includes a description of John Boehner looking like he swallowed a cough drop.
ReplyDeleteHow does Obama expect to add 30 million uninsured people to government health care, not cut benefits for anyone, not deny care to anyone and not add "one dime to our deficits either now or in the future".
Hey, Joe, thanks as (almost) always for your thought-provoking comment. I'm afraid that Ms. Collins's description of Mr. Boehner was rather literally accurate. And I stand by my own adjective, "truculent," as in scathing, belligerent—decidedly at odds with the President's respectful words and demeanor.
ReplyDeleteSurely you don't expect ME to tell you how the finances of health care reform are going to operate. That's for our adult legislators to work out the best they can.
Agree the that Mr. Wilson's approach was wrong.
ReplyDeleteHopefully rational, civil debate will ensue from both sides of the aisle.
That is indeed to be hoped for. Good on you for a glorious day!
ReplyDeleteIn today's column in The New York Times, "Boy, Oh, Boy," Maureen Dowd voices a suspicion I too have had, that a substantial core of the anti-Obama sentiment in this country is racist:
ReplyDeleteSurrounded by middle-aged white guys — a sepia snapshot of the days when such pols ran Washington like their own men’s club — Joe Wilson yelled “You lie!” at a president who didn’t.
But, fair or not, what I heard was an unspoken word in the air: You lie, boy!
America, oh America....
Or, as The New York Times blurbed it:
ReplyDeleteJoe Wilson’s outburst in Congress revealed one thing: Some people just can’t believe a black man is president and will never accept it.