Last night, before I had heard what Joe Wilson had done (I had heard the hubbub, but neither made out “You lie!” not identified the shouter), I was already complaining about the far more civil, formal, GOP response.
The thing is, I always hate listening to those things. I hated them when Bush was president, and Clinton before him. Always just a pointless, nonconstructive exercise in perpetual partisan polarization. Does your party want to be heard during presidential addresses? Well then win the next presidential election.
Rather than having the opposition statement, the networks should just run the Groucho Marx clip, which says the same thing more honestly and more entertainingly: “I don’t know what they have to say; it makes no difference anyway: Whatever it is, I’m against it!” In fact, let’s go ahead and reproduce the lyrics in full:
[Groucho]
I don’t know what they have to say,
It makes no difference anyway,
Whatever it is, I’m against it.
No matter what it is or who commenced it,
I’m against it.Your proposition may be good,
But let’s have one thing understood,
Whatever it is, I’m against it.
And even when you’ve changed it or condensed it,
I’m against it.I’m opposed to it,
On general principle, I’m opposed to it.[chorus] He’s opposed to it.
In fact, indeed, that he’s opposed to it![Groucho]
For months before my son was born,
I used to yell from night to morn,
Whatever it is, I’m against it.
And I’ve kept yelling since I first commenced it,
I’m against it!
It’s even, of all things, more gentlemanly than what we see from Washington these days. Who would have dreamed, ere now, that Groucho Marx, the master insult artist, could give civility lessons to South Carolina congressmen?
Seriously, if the opposition party — whichever one it happens to be at the moment — would simply surrender its response time and let the TV folk run this clip instead, I would think much more of that party than I do now.
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We need more confrontation of lies and obfuscations in our legislative chambers.
In England, the Prime Minister is required to regularly come before Parliament to report on his execution of the laws, and make recommendations. He is challenged from all sides, and he is expected to speak on his feet, not from notes written by someone else.
Obama engages in theater, not debate. He is unable to speak extemporaneously, because he lacks experience, knowledge and is not really very articulate.
So whenever Lee respond like that, the rest of y’all should join in as the chorus: “He’s opposed to it!”
Actually, Obama and the socialists are the ones opposing real reform. They are trying to roll back the tide of history and stop free markets from providing a myriad of health care solutions for patients.
This is the first time I have ever heard the Groucho clip. It is so true. You are right. I never listen to the opposition after a presidential speech because I already know what he will say, “I’m agin (sic) it.”
I have a question for Mr. Muller. Why didn’t the Republicans reform health care during the Bush administration? Most Americans are unhappy with the free market solution to health care. Why did Republicans wait until the Democrats are trying to reform it to do anything? I get health care from my employee and have never had a myriad of solutions. I didn’t realize they were so readily available. Are other South Carolinians aware of this?
Why not a free-market replacement for the Food and Drug Administration? Americans should be able to decide for themselves what’s in their food. Let the market sort out who’s poisoning citizens.
While we’re at it, why does the gummit force 120-volt electrical systems upon us? Every citizens should be able to choose their electrical voltage.
And don’t forget that socialist nightmare that tramples on states’ rights, the interstate highway system. If South Carolina wants its highways to be one-lane dirt paths, who are we to tell them to match up with Tennessee’s modern concrete super highways?
The government didn’t set the standards for 120-Volt AC power – the industry got together and set all of it, so they would be compatible.
Just as we have Underwriters Laboratories for product safety, a similar private entity could cover 95% of food and drug testing and verification.
There is a difference between a public road or park, which is legally a ‘commons’, and a business being run by the government, which is socialism. If a road is a toll road, it probably should be private.
Republicans didn’t reform healthcare, and that is why McCain lost – the core refused to vote for the compromiser. Most of the GOP are socialistic liberals on the light side. Most of the Democratic Party is very socialist, with 87 of them being affiliated with various socialist or communist organizations.
Mr. Muller,
You wrote, “Most of the Democratic Party is very socialist, with 87 of them being affiliated with various socialist or communist organizations.” Do you mean 87% or 87 people? Do you mean 87 of the Democrats in Congress, registered Democratic voters, or self-proclaimed Democrats? Where do you get these numbers? Posting “facts” like these make all of your comments suspect.
I have been tracking the speeches, affiliations, and memberships of socialists and communists in Congress since 1973. Right now, there is a caucus of 87 Democrats who are members of socialist organizations, national and international.
Barack Obama ran for office twice as a Socialist New Party candidate, then ran as a Democrat, endorsed by the SNP, and won his first office. Many of his advisors were affiliated with the old Communist Party.
80 Democrats are open members of the Progressive Caucus, which is openly socialist. Many are members of the Democratic Socialist Alliance, and the Democratic Socialists of America.
Some of top donors to James Clyburn include high-ranking officials in the Socialist Republic of Libya, Haiti, and Egypt.
If you cannot find it yourself, I have links to their web sites, to photos of them speaking at communist events in Europe and the US, etc.
The Democratic Socialists of America was created out of the breakup of the Socialist Party in 1973. Lead by communist Michael Harrington, it sought to work through socialists in the Democratic Party.
In 1988, they backed Jesse Jackson.
In 2000, the DSA took no official position on the presidential election, with several prominent DSA members backing Green Party
Green Party (United States).
In 2004, they backed Ralph Nader, who ran his campaign out of the old Communist Party USA offices in New York. Then they backed John Kerry, former leader of a socialist anti-war group.
The 2007 convention in Atlanta, Georgia featured record-breaking attendance and more participation by the organization’s youth wing. The convention was highlighted by a keynote address from Senator Sanders, (Socialist-NH).
In 2008, the DSA backed Barack Obama, former Socialist New Party Candidate.
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