"You lie!" - um, You misstate...
Back in September of 2009, Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina shouted "You lie!" during a speech by President Obama about his proposed health care law.
Oh, the uproar, the hand-wringing, the shocked audience. This was indeed a very rude breach of protocol.
But then, protocol seems to be a one-way street for Obama. He has now lectured the Supreme Court, an equal third branch of government, twice, the first time during a State of the Union speech at which the SC judges were sitting in obligatory silence in front of Obama.
Protocol requires that a Congressional audience not holler out an accusation of lying at the President. Protocol should not protect the president from questions about the veracity of claims he makes during campaign speeches. At the beginning of Obama's term in office, it seemed that people tiptoed around any criticism of him for
1. fear of accusations of racism ("The problem is SOUTHERN Congressmen are still fighting the "War of the South" and refuse to accept directions from a BLACK man. That is the crux of the core of the issue here. And,that's exactly why it's so important for them to be forced to accept the authority of a BLACK president." - RosanneofTennessee blogger in response to Joe Wilson's apology,) and
2. fear of blowback for being "rude" to a president because of partisan disagreement.
At this point, in the 2012 campaign season, the American public needs to vet Obama's various statements and claims for veracity because he has demonstrated a pattern of prevarication in his efforts to damage his opponents. If he lies, the public has the right to know it and to say it.
But then, protocol seems to be a one-way street for Obama. He has now lectured the Supreme Court, an equal third branch of government, twice, the first time during a State of the Union speech at which the SC judges were sitting in obligatory silence in front of Obama.
Protocol requires that a Congressional audience not holler out an accusation of lying at the President. Protocol should not protect the president from questions about the veracity of claims he makes during campaign speeches. At the beginning of Obama's term in office, it seemed that people tiptoed around any criticism of him for
1. fear of accusations of racism ("The problem is SOUTHERN Congressmen are still fighting the "War of the South" and refuse to accept directions from a BLACK man. That is the crux of the core of the issue here. And,that's exactly why it's so important for them to be forced to accept the authority of a BLACK president." - RosanneofTennessee blogger in response to Joe Wilson's apology,) and
2. fear of blowback for being "rude" to a president because of partisan disagreement.
At this point, in the 2012 campaign season, the American public needs to vet Obama's various statements and claims for veracity because he has demonstrated a pattern of prevarication in his efforts to damage his opponents. If he lies, the public has the right to know it and to say it.
posted by alison @ 5:40 PM
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