Brian Diefenbach on South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson
“I will not be muzzled. I will speak up loudly against this risky plan.”
—Joe Wilson, South Carolina Representative who called out “You lie!” during President Barack Obama’s speech on healthcare reform last week.
Only in America. Well, America and Great Britain, where shouting and slander are common occurrences on the floors of both nations legislative assemblies. It used to be that our representatives in Congress behaved themselves in front of the President and on television.
The difference between British and American politicking is that those pesky British politicians are attacking the Prime Minister, not the absolute head of state. Last time I checked, the President of the United States of America is the highest authority in these parts.
Although Wilson’s fellow representatives were aghast at his outburst, Wilson may have actually helped his cause by behaving like a town hall lunatic. It can be argued that Wilson gave voice to the frustrations of the minority by putting pressure directly on the President himself.
Wilson’s choice of the word, “muzzled,” is actually quite fitting. Like a dog, he has been backed into a corner on healthcare policy. Either he gives up and compromises, or continues to bark and posture.
We all know how dangerous cornered animals can be. The political kind seems to have adopted a strategy of name-calling and ultra-inflammatory rhetoric. Basically, they’ve become an elected version of Rush Limbaugh.
The good citizens of South Carolina can get this behavior under control. Wilson’s constituents need to give their congressman’s leash a good, hard pull and remind him who’s the boss.
An occasional “woof” is fine, but we can’t have our representatives barking at the President, now can we? What would the neighbors think?
—Brian Diefenbach, a copy editor and columnist for the Western Herald, is a senior majoring in imaging.
Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=7972
Posted by HeraldAdmin
on Sep 13 2009. Filed under Opinion, Quotes & Comments.
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Since when is it a crime to express one’s opinion of the truth. It strong reflects that Representative Wilson has been do his home work. As well as placing the interest of his constituency above the rim of political party allegance.
No matter how the coin falls when it is flipped it only has two sides. There can never be a split edge. It is either heads or tails. Of which, Representative Wilson expressed in his comment to the individual that has repeatly told one lie after another. A liar is a liar no matter how the coin falls.
The citizens of South Carolina should stop and consider the caliber of individual they have in Joe Wilson. A politician that speaks from the heart and with the interest above that of political opinion his and his family.
One apology to the “Office” of The President Of The United States was due and well presented. A second opinion, to appease Obama’s Chamber puppets should not even be a consideration.
I’m sorry, I’m a bit confused by the whole coin flipping thing and what it has to do with yelling at the President.
While Congressman Wilson has the right to free speech, he exercised it poorly by interrupting the President. It was rude and thoughtless.
I have not called into question whether Wilson’s stance on Obama’s health care reform is right or wrong. Heckling the President is uncalled for, it’s as simple as that.
Thanks for sharing your opinion and reading the Herald. We appreciate thoughtful and well-written responses like yours.
Hey, if the president might be shady concerning certain issues…then someone needs to speak up, right. This is politics, no one can tell me that all that is said, even about the health care reform, that it will take place-plus there are a lot of UN specifics concerning who will get health care benefits…ups, sorry, I got off the subject
So, no one wants to comment on the fact that Wilson, who is a paid darling of private health insurers, was LYING when he called Obama a liar?
No one wants to talk about how Wilson did something that would have been considered treason during the reign of Emperor Bush II?
C’mon, let’s talk about how Silly Wilson LIED when he shouted at the president. Someone pick up on Wilson’s many private health insurance connections and figure this out. Lemme help you again:
- Wilson LIED
- Wilson is directly tied to numerous private health insurance companies
Oh, and John, if Wilson was speaking “from the heart,” he should spend more time speaking his *mind*, the place where is supposed to be thinking instead of spewing more of the typical anti-Obama lies we’ve become used to in the past few months. Or is it that good old-fashioned Southern racism you’re complimenting?
Despite the fact that the health care proposal clearly states NO INSURANCE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS, Wilson decided this was a good time to lie, all the while screaming it during a live television conference. Oh, and how interesting it is to note that Wilson’s photograph during that time was taken by a lone photographer who would *not* be normally invited to such an event…and happened to be focusing on Wilson *at that moment* and now has been tied to being invited by a certain group tied to the health care industry to “pay close attention to Senator Wilson.”
Y-e-a-h, I smell good old fashioned set-up and camera thugging…er, mugging by Wilson and his cronies.
Keep on livin’ the lie, John, if you keep repeating it to yourself, it might become truth some day! Well, in your mind, at least.
I do agree that stating “you lie” was in appropriate on the house floor, he dutifully apoligized and said apoligy was accepted. End of Story…or is it. Given the opportunity so truly show the hypocracy of the left, the house member decided to “grand stand”. Just as unacceptable.
We “may” have true healing and decorum when the following occurs, those that booed Pres. Bush during his state of the Union should apoligize, Sen Murtha for defaming the Marines and calling those involved “murderers” should apoligize and yes the Marines were aquitted, Sen. Kerry should apoligize for saying our service members were terrorizing Iraqi’s, Senate Majority Leader Reid should also apoligize for calling the previous president a “liar and a looser”.
Oh, that’s right, in our two party system hypocracy is common. In our “two party” system only one side is held to a standard that the other openly does not practice.
Stop whining.
I totally agree with Billy, totally! You make perfect sense!