Editorial: Wilson OK to speak out, except during presidential address
Published: September 14, 2009
Whether or not the president is thought to be right or wrong is not the issue. The issue is how and where such a belief is addressed.
He is still the President of the United States of America and should be given the respect that comes with the title placed upon him by the citizens of this great nation. If he is wrong, then misguided actions will catch up to him.
What Sen. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) did in Congress last week was understandable — to a degree.
The man simply spoke his mind, calling out another man and challenging his words.
The problem is, he called out the president.
After President Obama told Congress that, under his plan, illegal immigrants would not be granted free health care by the government, Wilson shouted, “You lie.”
It is undoubtedly the most memorable moment in Wilson’s political history, at least on a national scale.
Wilson obviously challenged Obama’s word, decrying that illegal immigrants really would be given health care, just like taxpaying American citizens.
If this were correct, much modification should be done to this health care plan before it ever becomes law.
But the White House denounced Wilson’s claims. The bill’s wording backs that up.
“Nothing in this subtitle shall allow federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully in the United States,” it reads.
However, the bill does leave out a provision to enforce the “no illegals” rule.
More than likely, that’s what drew Wilson’s ire and has many in the GOP reviewing the bill with doubts.
Still, it’s in poor taste for any congressman to interrupt and take attention away from a president who is addressing them.
It doesn’t matter if it’s Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan or Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
It shouldn’t matter if the Commander in Chief is Republican or Democrat.
The floor belonged to the president. If a member of Congress disagrees, do so afterward in another forum. There are plenty of media outlets available.
Wilson, who will be in a tight district race next year, did the right thing afterward by apologizing to Obama.
“While I disagree with the president’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable,” he said in a statement. “I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.”
It’s good – and humble — to recognize your mistakes and admit them to the nation.
It’s still embarrassing that such actions occurred in our highest political chambers.
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Reader Reactions
Here is my take on the whole thing with Wilson. Anyone actually watching and listening to the speech by Obama and has read parts of or all of the actual bills before the House and Senate knows Obama is lying and has been lying.
Face it, liberals and many dems believe the American people are stupid. We are not. We have woken out of our political coma. Thank God. However, government does not want to be held in check, they like doing whatever they want and getting their agendas completed. It was easy while America was asleep. No so easy now that we are awake.
Joe Wilson’s timing may not have been great, but speaking the “truth” should never be condemned.
I will not call our president “president”. He is a disgrace to the United States of America and to the constitution. Obama is as respectful as I can be on what to call him. I am ashamed to have a president who is racist and extremely liberal to the point of attacking the American people for not agreeing with him. He and the libs are the ones spreading all the misinformation.
One sign in D.C. during the March on Washington said it all.
There was a pic of Martin Luther King, Jr. The caption read, “He had a dream”.
Underneath was a picture of Obama and the caption read, “We got a nightmare”.
Obama is a nightmare. He is not Martin Luther King, Jr. and has no business being compared to him. This is not racial. Race has nothing to do with it. I would vote for a black, purple, or polka dot man for president as long as he was for upholding the Constitution and not trying to take away the freedoms of the American people. Most people feel this way. You earn respect and Obama has earned none.
A chart that says it all.
http://www.lafn.org/politics/gvdc/Natl_Debt_Chart.html
Note the chart’s data ends BEFORE October 1, 2008.
Sorry ‘bout the name callin’, lorenem, I assume it was the “comrade” thing. No one I know would call the President socialist, marxist, communist, fascist, nazi, or anything other than President Obama. So neither shall I.
I too agree that Rep Wilson was out of line with his comment. It should have been done in a more tastful manner and not during the speech.
I only wish that O would have held real town hall meetings with people of both sides and got a taste of the true feelings about his so called free medical. Have we all forgotten that nothing in life is free and that someone pays. Each and everyone of us here in this thread will be the ones paying for this free medical.
I am not sure what people are saying that W lied about. I am sure he did, but if they are still upset about the WMDs, lets look at the history. We know there were WMDs. saddam used them on his own people. Where did he get the WMDs? Well, from us. So, yes there were WMDs.
Lets break down the signing of the $700 billion that W signed last October. Seems to me that I distinctly remember W stating that he would spend the money if O requested it. O requested it. Since W was a lame duck president what did he have to lose. The money was going to be spent either in October or on January 20th either way the money would be spent.
The day following Rep Wilson’s outburst, the White House issued a statement that clarified that illegals will not be included in healthcare reform. This had not be done previously. Why the need for that statement? Because HR3200 has looopholes you could drive a truck through.
Regarding your “Comrade Bush” statement; true, President Bush irresponsibly expanded the federal budget. The deficit for all of 2008 was 454.8 billion dollars.
The Obama administration is forecasting that the budget deficit would rise to an all-time high of 1.58 trillion dollars in the current fiscal year. You do, of course, realize the staggering differance between billion vs trillion?
Please stop the name calling. I was completely open to your argument until I got to the last paragraph.
The missed point is that “Faux Joe” Wilson (where does the GOP find all these false Joes?) was completely wrong about the President lying. As this editorial and mountains of legitimate documentation prove, “the White House denounced Wilson’s claims…[because] The bill’s wording backs that up.“ Sure does, no matter how much Republicants oh so wish it didn’t. But truth and proof is not in the klanservative play book.
That the OA News editorial staff gives any credence whatsoever to a retired National Guard colonel heckling the Commander In Chief before a joint session of congress—-even if Faux Joe WAS remotely correct—-is absurd and irresponsible.
As for Democrats chastising the last pResident, that was because, as the entire universe is now aware, Bush never opened his swaggering mouth without lying. Even as Comrade Bush signed over $700 billion in taxpayer cash to the banks in a Socialist revelation in October last year.
Yes, Rep Wilson’s outburst was inappropriate, however, you can not allow one side to have standing ovations and thunderous applauds over every utterance and stifle the other side.
During Bush’s last state of the union address the left demonstrated their opposition with audible boo’s.
Double standard? Of course, isn’t that always the case?
While I agree that it was at a bad time for Joe Wilson to call-out President Obama’s poorly worded or even misleading comments, why did it take three years for so many to suddenly take issue with inappropriate conduct during the President’s speech? During President Bush’s State of the Union address in 2006, every Democrat present stood up and cheered after he commented on how the Democrats blocked Social Security reform…
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=6mqSXsNJzRM
If you look closely, you can even see our current President joining in.
Remember, this is also the administration that has brought “business casual” to the White House, so I doubt the sincerity or validity of arguments about inappropriate conduct or sanctity of the office.
The author’s time (the O/A news failed to give your name) would be better spent examining if Joe Wilson was correct rather than if the President’s feelings were hurt:
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/09/11/2065287.aspx
“It shouldn’t matter if the Commander in Chief is Republican or Democrat.“
Agreed.
It should, however, matter whether or not the man is constitutionally eligible for the office.
Unfortunately we don’t know whether he is or isn’t eligible because he won’t release any relevant documents which would prove one way or the other his constitutional eligibility.
Why does this not matter to the koolaid drinking masses?
History will show that this man is the epitome of a narcissist who was in no way eligible for the office he pretends to hold.
It is my sincere prayer that we still have a country when his day of reckoning comes, and it will. It’s getting closer every day.
Why on earth do you think there is such a rush to get a health care bill that won’t even take effect until 2013 rammed through congress?
Why on earth do you think that there has been one manufactured crises after another to get all of his outrageous proposals shoved down our throats?
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