Last night we finally heard from our President on the subject of healthcare – a topic of great controversy and national division. It was about time he spoke up. I’m not going to post much about the actual speech because there are other, more qualified bloggers who will handle that. Let me just say, first I’m relieved the public option is still on the table although I would be much happier with the single payer plan. But, change comes slowly so compromises will have to be made; perhaps the next generation. I think most all of us have known that this would not be the sweeping change we had hoped for, but still, it's something.What was far more disturbing was the disgusting, disrespectful display of some of the GOP members. There were those that sat there playing with their blackberries like petulant school children with their fingers in their ears. And the group that kept holding up their papers, presumably a GOP healthcare bill which they somehow thought should be the only one considered.
And then out of the crowd, a man elected to a Congressional office, who I suppose we could assume was raised with some sort of manners, but certainly did not show them last night, yelled out, “You lie!” Apparently someone forgot to tell Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC – surprise, surprise) that this was not some sleasy street corner in Columbia…There were, of course, all the usual GOP comments afterwards about how the President isn’t knuckling under to all their scare tactics and whining about how their campaign of shock and awe just isn’t getting the desired results but the one comment that really made me pause was from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.):
"It was a good speech, the problem is that what he wants and what they've written are two totally different things. I'm willing to compromise to get things fixed. But I'm not willing to put the government in charge because we don't have a good track record." (emphasis mine)
The GOP is decrying government involvement even though they are part of that very same government. Now, one of their members actually admits that they aren’t any good at their jobs. But they think the nation should hang on their every word and accept their spin that somehow they are really the majority and they only lost because other petulant Republicans stayed home and didn’t vote.
All I want to say to the GOP is, “YOU lie!” And you’re not even very good it.
I am with you, Rocky. In case anyone here feels an irresistible urge to vent steam, no holds barred, here is contact information for Joe Wilson:
ReplyDeleteThe Midlands' Office • 1700 Sunset Blcd (US 378), Suite 1 • West Columbia, SC 29169 • Phone: (803) 939-0041 • Fax: (803) 939-0078
The Lowcountry Office • 903 Port Republic Street • Beaufort, SC 29902 • Phone: (843) 521-2530 • Fax: (843) 521-2535
Washington Office • 212 Cannon House Office Building • Washington, DC 20515 • Phone: (202) 225-2452 • Fax: (202) 225-2455
Joe Wilson’s website:
http://www.joewilson.house.gov/
And here is a tip from one commenter at the Huffington Post: Boycott South Chinalina until the state legislature censors him. That means no vacations to the beaches, no golf courses, no mountains, nor anything else in South Chinalina. So blast away:
chamber@scchamber.net
education@scchamber.net
businessweek@scchamber.net
policy@scchamber.net
grassroots@scchamber.net
Wilson did call the White House to offer an apology to Rahm Emmanuel right after the speech - no doubt because he was ordered to. There was noticeable Republican reaction and calls for treating the President wit respect, but as more weight behind my constant assertion that the politics of hate and anger and disruption are a characteristic of the new Right - this hasn't happened, not even when Bush lied, lied, and lied again.
ReplyDeleteSomeone also forgot to tell Wilson that no, it's not a lie and illegals aren't going to be covered. Maybe he wouldn't care anyway.
The text of Ted Kennedy's letter read by President Obama last night:
ReplyDelete- May 12, 2009 -
Dear Mr. President,
I wanted to write a few final words to you to express my gratitude for your repeated personal kindnesses to me – and one last time, to salute your leadership in giving our country back its future and its truth.
On a personal level, you and Michelle reached out to Vicki, to our family and me in so many different ways. You helped to make these difficult months a happy time in my life.
You also made it a time of hope for me and for our country.
When I thought of all the years, all the battles, and all the memories of my long public life, I felt confident in these closing days that while I will not be there when it happens, you will be the President who at long last signs into law the health care reform that is the great unfinished business of our society. For me, this cause stretched across decades; it has been disappointed, but never finally defeated. It was the cause of my life. And in the past year, the prospect of victory sustained me-and the work of achieving it summoned my energy and determination.
There will be struggles – there always have been – and they are already underway again. But as we moved forward in these months, I learned that you will not yield to calls to retreat - that you will stay with the cause until it is won. I saw your conviction that the time is now and witnessed your unwavering commitment and understanding that health care is a decisive issue for our future prosperity. But you have also reminded all of us that it concerns more than material things; that what we face is above all a moral issue; that at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.
And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family’s health will never again depend on the amount of a family’s wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.
In closing, let me say again how proud I was to be part of your campaign- and proud as well to play a part in the early months of a new era of high purpose and achievement. I entered public life with a young President who inspired a generation and the world. It gives me great hope that as I leave, another young President inspires another generation and once more on America’s behalf inspires the entire world.
So, I wrote this to thank you one last time as a friend- and to stand with you one last time for change and the America we can become.
At the Denver Convention where you were nominated, I said the dream lives on.
And I finished this letter with unshakable faith that the dream will be fulfilled for this generation, and preserved and enlarged for generations to come.
With deep respect and abiding affection,
[Ted]
Senator Obama became President Obama because he was able to rally us to action, we spoke, we persisted, and like a snowball, our numbers became sufficient to overcome eight years of anger and deceit.
ReplyDeleteIn our success, we have been too complacent. We have allowed the angry and illiterate, led by the evil wealthy, to gain destructive ground in the last few months. We need to turn the tide again, by speaking wherever we go, to make America a better place for ALL Americans by simply telling the truth with facts to back it up.
In addition to providing addresses (Thanks, Octopus) allowing us to verbally chastise Wilson for his egregious behavior, here is an address where we can financially contribute to an advertising campaign against his lies:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.actblue.com/page/targetwilson
All those in favor of kicking South Carolina out of the Union say "AYE"
ReplyDeleteAye - and now it looks like Wilson has take a total of nearly a quarter million from drug, insurance and health care companies.
ReplyDeleteSouth Carolina - the cradle of the confederacy, my, my.
Here's a telling little story about Rep. Joe Wilson (R.S.Car.)posted at TPM:
ReplyDeleteLast night, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) issued an apology -- "I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President's remarks" -- and called the White House after heckling Obama during his nationally televised health care speech.
That's the first time most Americans heard of Congressman Wilson, but it's not, it turns out, the first time Wilson's emotions got the best of him and he was forced to apologize.
Flashback to mid-December 2003, when Essie Mae Washington-Williams came forward with the bombshell that she was the illegitimate daughter of the recently-deceased patriarch of South Carolina politics, Sen. Strom Thurmond.
Rep. Wilson, a former page of Thurmond's, immediately told The State newspaper that he didn't believe Williams. He deemed the revelation "unseemly." And he added that even if she was telling the truth, she should have kept the inconvenient facts to herself:
"It's a smear on the image that [Thurmond] has as a person of high integrity who has been so loyal to the people of South Carolina," Wilson said.
Of course, Williams' story was entirely true -- and never really in doubt. Thurmond was 22 and Williams' mother, a black maid working in his family home, was 16 when Williams was born in 1925. Thurmond supported Williams financially for decades.
The State story continued with Wilson wondering aloud how anyone could dare "diminish" one of his personal heroes.
Wilson said it is unfair to debate rumors about Thurmond when he can no longer defend himself.
The same goes for discussion of an affair Thomas Jefferson is said to have had with a slave.
"Sometimes these things just go on," Wilson said. "These are heroes of mine. I really hope these would be heroes to future generations of Americans. (The stories) are ... a way to diminish their contributions to our country's existence."
Six days and several furious letters to the editor later, Wilson was forced to apologize. But, amazingly, he maintained that Williams should not have gone public.
I've been away from the computer all day so I'm just catching up on the comments here.
ReplyDeleteWhile Rep Wilson acted like a horse's ass and deserves a little lambasting, I don't want to get stuck on this one guy and this one act.
A much more troubling aspect is the pervasive lack of respect and civility among the GOP that has created an atmosphere where Rep Wilson and others feel it is acceptable to behave so boorishly.
I get the feeling that many - not all - but there are a significant number if you measure by all the noise they are making- that believe the rules of a civil society do not apply to them.
And maleeper is right, we have become too complacent and allowed the fringe nuts to garner way too much unobstructed attention. We need to take back our country - again!
Last night our President finally gave us an outline of his plan. It may not be everything we wanted, but, it is something we can now focus on, discuss and bring to the forefront in conversation, on our blogs and with our emails and/ or letters.
I've posted this before, but if you need to find your senator, here is the website from which to find them:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
The White House can be reached through this site:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/
And your state Representatives can be found here:
http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/index.html
We need to keep the pressure on all our officials and let them know what we support. It is time for us to make some noise - but in a dignified, rational manner based on the facts at hand.
I'd say the GOP are pretty damn good at lying. That's all they do. Astounding really how they can make them stick.
ReplyDeleteWhen you consider that somewhere in that mythic 'Silent Majority' are the 40% of the population who wants 'Government' to keep its hands off Medicare it makes the GOP strategy of endless lying appear brilliant.
ReplyDeleteWhich it is.
There is a sweet P.S. to Joe Wilson's outburst last night: within hours, over 5,000 people donated more than $200,000.00 to his Democratic opponent. (In your face, The Hollerin' Joe!)
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that he had that delightful, I'm sure, conversation with Rahm Emanuel (boy, I wish I were a fly on the wall of RE's office at the moment).
As to our just-clinging-to-life public option, it does not look so good at the moment, it seems.
I am also disturbed about the ambiguous terms used by the President in regard to the "public option." So I urge everyone to find your state reps, senators and the WH links above and send them a very unambiguous message that we will NOT support any bill without a GOVERNMENT BACKED PUBLIC OPTION.
ReplyDeleteThat guy is a tool and he's getting his ass handed to him in the form of all those donations. I made my donation. Let's all pony up not just for Wilson's opponent Rob Miller but to MoveOn and others.
ReplyDeleteHere's the linke to the ActBlue site where I donated:
Donate and show Joe Wilson that HE is the liar!!
Personally, I think somebody needs to ask Senator Baucus when he is getting his proposal back from the lobbyists on K Street so he can then share it with his fellow senators, the President, and eventually us...
ReplyDeleteTAO, it'll be as soon as all the special interest people put their desired corrections in it. I'm sure it still needs some tweaking to meet their expectations.
ReplyDeleteI just heard on Countdown that Wilson was asked to apologize on the House floor or face some kind of punishment. His response is that he's going to take the weekend to think it over.
ReplyDeleteSure, he'll think about it as contributions roll in and as the subject has been changed from healthcare back to tribal warfare.
ReplyDeleteWilson, facing censure said monday that he would "not participate in political games", and declared on Fox News Sunday that he wouldn't apologize again.
ReplyDelete