Republicans’ rudeness is likely to backfire
The president’s big speech gets an “A.” He hit every note that he needed to — explaining the broad outlines of his plan, rebutting the outrageous lies and demagoguery, inspiring Democrats and, once again, extending a hand to Republicans.
As he did at crucial points during the campaign, he showed that he can punch back; worried Democrats were reminded that Obama won’t be a pushover who allows conservatives to knee-cap him.
The most surprising part of the speech was his outreach to a GOP bent on destroying Obama’s presidency. He mentioned favorably a GOP perennial, medical malpractice reform, even though it would shave no more than one or two percentage points off total costs. He pointed out that he was borrowing a good idea from John McCain, and he noted Orrin Hatch’s close friendship with Teddy Kennedy. He insisted that anyone with “a good idea” can come and offer it to him.
And how did Republicans in the chamber respond? With an outrageous display of rude hooliganism. They waved fake legislation. They booed. They jeered. They hissed. And one GOP Congressman, Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, yelled out “You lie!” when the president said nothing in his plan would pay for health care for illegal immigrants.
It’s Wilson who was lying. The plans already in the works are explicit about ID requirements.. The GOP has settled on a strategy of guerrilla warfare against the Obama administration. The opposition party is no longer interested in solving problems — just laying waste to Obama’s plans. Democrats may be able to negotiate with Olympia Snowe and George Voinovich, but that’s about it.
Still, the strategy of extending a hand to the GOP is likely to pay off for Obama in the long run. Voters can contrast the behavior of the president with that of Republicans in the chamber and determine who they’d like to have leading the country.
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104 comments Add your comment
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
September 10th, 2009
8:03 am
Cynthia, did you drop a lot of acid in college? The Obama I saw last night was petty, partisan, unable to bring quantifiable and identifiable support for his outrageous coast savings claim, so hedged in every direction that he set no clear path forward, and, most of all, small.
Mac
September 10th, 2009
8:14 am
If they want to save their party, it’s time for any adult Republican leaders to stand up and demand responsible statesmanship from its members. That doesn’t mean laying down, but this foolish childishness is harming the country and will destroy their party.
Paul Harris
September 10th, 2009
8:17 am
If Congressman Wilson’s opponent at the next election has any sense he will launch a major fundraising drive TODAY. This behavior has no place in civilized politics and I hope that Democrats and Republicans alike, even if all they contribute is a symbolic and nominal $10, make clear their sense of outrage at this man’s behavior. It is very much to many Republicans’ credit that people like John McCain have already come forward to chastise Wilson. I hope that NO significant Republican accepts any invitation from Wilson to speak or campaign alongside him at the next election.
What sort of behavior is this to put before our students? Some have criticized President Obama for wanting to address our school students directly to extol them to work harder and to get the best education that they can. Frankly, I think Wilson should ‘consider his position’ this morning and either resign immediately for the disgrace he has brought upon himself and his district, or announce that he will stand down at the next election… He might want to look up a certain verse about “bearing false witness..”
SouthernGal
September 10th, 2009
8:17 am
I would like to see the D and R after their names changed to “A” for *&&hole”….cuz they all fall into that category!
righty
September 10th, 2009
8:31 am
We’ve seen outbursts from Democrats before as well, so don’t even try and say it’s just the Republicans. Oh, and if you ask any true conservative, they’ll still tell you the Republican party needs to get its act together and stop pandering to or being like Democrats.
Even if the outburst was inappropriate in the setting, the truth of the simple statement still remains. Obama does lie; why else would he continue saying that he’s not a single-payer proponent when he clearly stated in a speech several years ago that he would accept nothing less. Remember, Obama and the Democrats want to control your life and want you to take everything they dump on you lying down. Anything short of an absolute power grab is unacceptable to them.
Finally, Cynthia’s comments today should suprise no one. Just look at the titles of her last ten posts without even reading the content and you can tell she’s doing nothing but criticizing Republicans while pandering at Obama’s feet.
norman ravitch
September 10th, 2009
8:39 am
Cynthia may be right that Joe Wilson’s display of anger could help O”Bama. But this sort of thing happened with Bush and the Democrats as well. Incivility is as old as American politics, as old as apple pie. The presidency and the president have never been seen as sacrosanct. In a Republic the truth is more important than any man or office. The only office which is sacrosanct is the Republic itself.
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
September 10th, 2009
8:53 am
Cynthia writes, “Voters can contrast the behavior of the president with that of Republicans in the chamber and determine who they’d like to have leading the country.”
She’s correct. Has anyone seen the way Obama’s approval rating has fallen from the high 70s to just under 50%. This trend is particularly true among independents. In 2010, the nation will confirm that it has had enough of this callow, inexperienced president.
Pali2/Liz Cheney in 2012 – Real change that rights the country
ant banks
September 10th, 2009
8:54 am
After the way the way that Rep. Congressman Wilson behaved, parents should have objected to their children seeing THAT, instead of Barack Obama’s speech to the children.
jt
September 10th, 2009
8:54 am
Joe Wilson only did what millions of Americans would do if given a chance.
Obama is a lying Harvard lawyer.
ant banks
September 10th, 2009
9:18 am
JT
and what was “W?”
ant banks
September 10th, 2009
9:19 am
listen,
i am glad that wilson did what he did. actions like his makes the reasonable person immediately go the other way.
Tom
September 10th, 2009
9:22 am
Obama is right. His health care plan will not cover illegal aliens, because he is going to nationalize them all, therefore, they will not be illegal !!!
Gman
September 10th, 2009
9:22 am
Joe Wilson, the new face of the GOP… childish, borish, and lost!
RealityKing
September 10th, 2009
9:26 am
Wilson was rude. But Obama clearly failed to act on his promise of bipartisanship last night. In fact, Obama has failed to act on a lot of the promises he campaigned on in the name of “change”. Which obviously makes Wilson right…, Obama lies.
Shawny
September 10th, 2009
9:26 am
Obama is a great (teleprompted) speaker. I’ll give him that. He is inspiring and has great delivery. Unfortunately, Cynthia and I were watching two different speeches. I watched the one, listening carefully to what he was saying, ignoring the rah rah emotion, and focusing on hearing details as to how (exactly) this was going to work. I was disappointed, as the depth of detail was non-existent, but I should have known. It wasn’t an outlay of the plan, but rather, a cheerleading speech of why he thinks we need to pursue it.
Regarding the partisan divide on the speech, the GOP (except for the clown that said YOU LIE) acted no differently than the dems acted at Bush speeches, so quit being so partisan, but I know that is impossible. The SC clown acted disgracefully and should be reprimanded.
His point, if I could interpret it correctly, is probably that illegals will get the same coverage they get now, not that they will be officially on a govt plan. That coverage, of course, is the ability to walk into an emergency room and get routine sick or injury care for free. Don’t believe it, then you go to an emergency room and count the number of people that can speak English for yourself.
Zip
September 10th, 2009
9:28 am
Republican rudeness will not backfire. People remember the constant stream of insults from Democrats toward Bush over the last 8 years. They also remember the boos during the State of the Union speech and the sour looks and head wagging of Hillary. Payback time. People are not as stupid as Obama wants them to be.
ArtVandelay
September 10th, 2009
9:32 am
Norman and Righty I don’t know what speeches to congress by presidents you have been watching or have heard about, but the lack of decorum last night was a first. No modern president I can remember has been shouted at or told outright you lie in that setting. Please provide examples of such disrespect. The most I have seen is quiet opposition, not standing, not applauding, talking amongst one another…etc
Yet and still Mr. Wilson and his fellow Repubs did Mr. Obama a huge favor last night by acting the way they did. Anyone who is not a conservative or Repub who watched last night saw the true face of the GOP and it wasn’t pretty. Town Halls are one thing but the disrespect shown last night by elected officials will only serve to reenergize those who support Obama and his policies.
Gman
September 10th, 2009
9:36 am
Zip, Zip, Zip… no matter how you try to rewrite history, Joe Wilson, the new face of the GOP, epitomizes the very substance of the Grand Old Party… childish, borish, and lost!
WideAwake
September 10th, 2009
9:39 am
Joe forgot he wasn’t at the teabaggers townhall meeting BUT live on primetime television.
I will be contributing to his opponent for 2010 Rob Miller. We must rid ourselves of these slugs and repothugs.
Pat Phelps
September 10th, 2009
9:39 am
Wilson was only saying what all of us know to be true. The only difference is he had the guts to say it. Obama is a liar and nothing more. I’m not sure anything that comes out of his mouth is the truth. Keep drinking the koolaid and this country will end up an afterthought.
Ant Banks – do you have positive proof that Bush lied or just the usually liberal rants that Bush lied and people died crap. No you don’t have proof. But we do have proof that Obama lied.
JinKazama
September 10th, 2009
9:42 am
newsflash: ALL POLITICIANS LIE!
To hear one politician call another a liar last night was laughable. Anyone who watched that speech last night and thinks that the repubs behavior wasn’t inappropriate or that Mr. Obama’s speech (like it or not) did not effectively convey where he stands and what he wants done; simply don’t like the man and will never support anything he does. Anyone saying the contrary in this thread or elsewhere is deluding themselves…
Donovan
September 10th, 2009
9:44 am
Cynthia Tucker is the poster child of the Democrat Party. She has written nonsensical columns of liberal lunacy for years. She has railed against the conservative establishment for years. She has excoriated Bush, Cheney, and Rove for the past 8 years. She lionizes the left wing movement and its congressional make-up as the second coming of Christ. And when her inept president comes around again to sprinkle his depleting supply of pixie dust upon the American people, she defends his used car sales speech as brilliant and visionary. That Republican congressman who defiantly spoke up during the speech represented the frustration of an American people who are sick and tired of all the Tuckers and liberals who are trying to sell us a bill of goods that we don’t want. We are tired of the charades, smoke and mirrors, snake oil, and deceptive methods of the Democrat Party. This liberal movement emphasized by the health care plan is just another example of bad medicine Democrats bring to Congress. Bloated bills, government mismanagement, heavy taxation, defense gutting, and expansive bureaucratic expense represents the Democrat Party. Bill Clinton was a liar. Hilliary Clinton was a liar. Ted Kennedy was a liar. It runs in the core of the Democrat Party and the liberal movement. To advance any crazy agenda it takes a ruse or deceptive implementation of the initiative to persuade the electorate. Hence, we have Obama as president and the Tuckers, Pelosi’s, Reid’s of the world acting as facilitators. MoveOn.Com and Acorn vastly help in getting the corrupt message out, as well. Ms. Tucker should first look at who is calling the kettle black. Her group has been at it far longer than the Republicans have. However, liberals have always been the poster child of hypocrisy.
lovelyliz
September 10th, 2009
9:47 am
Wilson was speaking to the choir that had a fiscal blackout from 2000-2008 and evidently can’t google things such as life expectancy/infant mortality rate/per capita healthcare expenditure per country not to mention medical tourism of US citizens traceling to foreign countries for healthcare procedures.
Lisa
September 10th, 2009
9:48 am
I too am surprised at statements that suddenly “The President of the United States deserves respect” coming from those who have magically forgotten their own 8 years of non-stop rudeness and wild accusations against President Bush. I’m not saying any of it is right, just that Democrats need to stop acting as if their party has always been polite, logical, and reasonable.
GEORGE AMERICAN
September 10th, 2009
9:53 am
JOE WILSON SHOULD BE GIVEN THE CONGRESSIONAL METAL OF BRAVENESS FOR HAVING THE COURAGE TO STAND UP TO CALL A SPADE A SPADE.
THE OBARMA IS A LIAR AND REAL AMERICANS ARE TIRED OF HIS LIES!!!!
Moderate Allysa
September 10th, 2009
9:54 am
Jeez Righty, your second paragraph wasn’t a blanket statement about Democrats at all or anything! Clearly, you have many facts to back your claim! (sarcasm). Wyld Byll, you may have been watching the speech but you certainly weren’t listening to it. A lot was said that detailed how the bill would be funded. First of all, it’s healthcare reform, not healthcare start-from-scratch. We already have a system in place so there should be few material costs associated with it. Also, remember the part of the speech where he talked about eliminating wasteful spending, the part that said insurance companies would start being charged a 10% penalty fee if they didn’t offer affordable premiums to the uninsured? (Which they currently don’t…do a basic health insurance quote and you’ll see.) Those weren’t the only measures he talked about that would help fund this whole thing. Pop quiz, name me the other two he talked about! I bet you can’t! Do you not understand basic accounting? Or were you just not listening?
Davo
September 10th, 2009
10:17 am
“And how did Republicans in the chamber respond?”
Let’s ask how the democrats responded, shall we? Was I watching an address to Congress or a celebrity roast, because from all the standing ovations I honestly can’t tell. (And I didn’t bother to watch until this morning…Top Chef and all).
Just a note to you dems…you would probably get alot more traction if you could get rid of that sycophantic, whack-a-mole that is Nancy Pelosi; jumping up and down at every nuance in Obamas speech tells me all I need to know about who she answers to.
Hey Dav-tard, guess who...
September 10th, 2009
10:26 am
Dav-tard,
Good to see you’re showing people how dumb you are on Cynthia’s blog too.
Sinthia Bookman
September 10th, 2009
10:37 am
This hurts me dearly to have to say but, Sinthia is right. It’s unfortunate that our elected officials skin is so thin that they can’t accept the truth from someone. The truth hurts Sinthia. Wilson was right, Obama did/does lie.
It’s too bad that these proceedings are so “civilized”. You could get alot more done if you had some passionate and unruly arguing. On the left, you have the polite golf clap with everything the Presbo says and on the right, you have bumpkins sitting on their hands, looking like they don’t know why they are even there. We need some aggressive behavior from these lame politicians. We need some more people like Wilson publicly challenging *gasp* the Presbo. The PEOPLE need to hear that our elected officals are listening to us.
Sinthia Bookman
September 10th, 2009
10:39 am
I hope Saturday Night Live does a parody on the speech. I wonder how Old Biddy and Peloser will be portrayed.
Pat Phelps
September 10th, 2009
10:46 am
JinKazama – you are exactly correct. I don’t like the man, nor anything he stands for. Maybe all politicans lie, but I don’t ever recall someone as blatant about lying as this man. He is extremely arrogant. Despite the fact over 50% of Americans don’t want government run health care he is going to push it through anyway. I hope all you who voted for him are happy.
Sophie's Choice
September 10th, 2009
10:49 am
WyIld Byll, it must’ve been awfully dyffycult for you to hear, much less comprehend, Obama’s speech last nyght, gyven that your head appears to be deeply wedged insyde your posteryor. You, like the GOP, have absolutely NO credybylyty. Go crawl back under that rock, now, there’s a good lad.
Moderate Allysa
September 10th, 2009
10:50 am
Davo, is this the first time you’ve watched a presidential address? Standing up and down constantly is the norm. You’ll learn that when you watch your second presidential address, 20 years from now? About the time you’re mature enough to go to bed later than 8 p.m. and have an attention span that’s long enough to put your Xbox down for an hour to watch the president speak.
John
September 10th, 2009
10:52 am
What we need is yet another CZAR ! … I suggest Obama create a “Preventive Care and Wellness” Czar and give that position to know-it-all healthcare expert, Michael Moore….Afterall, Moore would set a great example with that 5′9″, 300+ pound body of his
Davo
September 10th, 2009
10:57 am
The stalkers out this morning…I’m flattered.
John
September 10th, 2009
10:58 am
to George American: ……”to call a spade a spade” ……You’ll be called racist for that. Remember, only blacks and extreme-lefty’s are immune from the PC-thought police. Remember its only ok for them to say “whitey”, “honkie”, “cracker”, whiteboys”, “them cowboys”, “fascists”, and so on. Don’t you use words like spade or boy though.
Chaps
September 10th, 2009
11:01 am
For those who really want to know what Obama said last night, READ the speech. If you only watched it, it is easy to get caught up in all the flourishes of voice and facial expression. If you read the speech, it is plain how simultaneously banal and misleading it was. BTW, if I had a dime for everytime a Democrat elected official called Bush a liar, I could get a new car and wouldn’t need “cash for clumkers.”
Moderate Allysa
September 10th, 2009
11:04 am
John, didn’t you know that the United States is the shining example/pinnacle of health in this world? I’m sure there aren’t any overweight republican Congressman who claim to know everything about healthcare either. Nope, I bet they’re all fit and trim like Brad Pitt!
Joan
September 10th, 2009
11:05 am
It is a no brainer. Obama may not be lying when he says it won’t cover illegals. However, the next bill up will be one for amnesty–and they will all be legalized! Problem solved. But a bigger problem is that illegals are so low income generally that they absorb way more services than they can possibly contribute to.
Moderate Allysa
September 10th, 2009
11:06 am
Chaps, can you detail how the speech was misleading please? Without getting caught up in emotion as you imply others are doing?
Moderate Allysa
September 10th, 2009
11:10 am
Joan, you sound pretty confident about that amnesty bill. Can you provide a little more information and cite some sources that are fueling your invalid fear?
Joan
September 10th, 2009
11:12 am
I think that if people who disagree with the President’s bs should sit on their hands and keep their lips zipped, so should the people who agree. I mean, why can the Dims jump up and down like Jack in the Boxes, but the Pubs are supposed to sit silent? What is sauce for the goose…..
lovelyliz
September 10th, 2009
11:12 am
And GEORGE AMERICAN while were at it, why don’t you nominate MArk Sanford for father sof the year?
Joan
September 10th, 2009
11:16 am
Just Google “obama amnesty” all sorts of articles show that he is for it, as example: “Obama to Push Immigration Reform Bill
President reportedly plans to address the thorny issue of immigration reform this year, including searching for a way for illegal immigrants to become legal, a senior administration official says.” This only makes sense because the bulk of his voting constituency is the uneducated, the low paid, and those who want the government to take care of them. By granting amnesty the Dims ensure a long future in control—until of course, the money runs out.
Joan
September 10th, 2009
11:18 am
Obama says he is going to get lots of money from cleaning up Medicare fraud and waste and use that for the Health care bill. If it is possible to clean up the fraud, why doesn’t the government just demonstrate first that it can do that? it might gain a little credibility. Of course, this isn’t likely, and there isn’t excess money in Medicare as the truth is, it is running dry on money too.
I Report/ Vast White Wing Conspirator :-) You Whine :-(
September 10th, 2009
11:19 am
The democrats sneered and hooted all through the last decade and it backfired right into control of the presidency and both houses of Congress.
Looks like the wingnuts are learning.
Moderate Allysa
September 10th, 2009
11:23 am
It’s called being civil, Joan. Tell me the last time a democrat screamed out to a republican, “Liar!” DURING A PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS in front of the entire nation? Please, enlighten all of us as to when that occured. Especially when he yelled it out in response to something that wasn’t a lie! Both parties have stood up and sat down like jack in the boxes during Presidential addresses for years and years now. It’s a common practice. But when was the last time Dems did something so disrespectful during a Presidential address? Please expound.
Moderate Allysa
September 10th, 2009
11:24 am
Sorry, I mean to type, “You lie”, not “Liar”.
Bryan
September 10th, 2009
11:24 am
Cynthia Tucker gets an “F” for this article! The Republican’s already put forth a change to the bill that would require identification for people benefiting from the health insurance public option and the Democrats voted it down. REP. PETE HOEKSTRA, R – MICH. went on Fox news and said that Republicans have NOT been invited to the table to shape and form this bill. They just got the bill dropped on their doorstep.
More importantly the REAL reason OBAMA did lie is that he intends to pass Amnesty which would make all the illegals legal and then make them covered. So however you slice it Cynthia Tucker did not do one ounce of research for this article and just copied and pasted the talking points that were handed out prior to the speech. Cynthia Tucker you FAIL!
Tomhere
September 10th, 2009
11:26 am
BOYCOTT HILTON HEAD.