There is something seriously wrong with this scene in the land of the free – President Obama can call former Governor Sara Palin a liar on the House floor, but Republican Rep. Joe Wilson can’t call Obama a liar in the same venue with out apologizing.
On Wednesday, when President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress on Health Care Reform, he said those referring to health care reform creating a ‘death panel’ for seniors is lying. “It is a lie plane and simple,” Obama said. Well, it was well known to all who he was talking about because on two occasions Sara Palin labeled Obama’s Health Care Reform a ‘death panel’ for seniors because he was going to eliminate waste and inefficiency from Medicare, but few believe he can do this with out reducing the quality of health care. For the most costly period of health care is in the last two years of life.
Yes, in the ‘Public Option’ of Health Care Reform, it will be a government run health care system and it would include medical decisions coming from a panel of those who would decide who should be treated – how, when, why and at what age.
Meanwhile Joe Wilson yelled out “You Lie” when Obama said illegal aliens would not be covered under his health care reform. Wilson was dead on. Drafts of bills in the House include coverage for illegals.
He was forced by the leadership to apologize to the President for his outburst, which he did and now the House wants him to formally apologize on the House floor again to the institution, which he says he will not do. The House has threatened to censure him.
Although not on the House Floor, Harry Reid called President George W. Bush a liar and he never apologized.
There is obviously a double standard in DC. Curbing free speech on the House floor for a congressional representative and not the president is an oxymoron.
Obama not only lies but he errors by omission and uttering vague comments without specifics. He serves up theories and generalities upon which we debate without the details. When we do get a bill it will contain thousands of words, which our legislators, nor the President, will read - and as we all know the devil is in the details.
Obama in his Wednesday night message talked of Tort Reform as though it was in some of the bills – it is not. It is a lie.
Obama says illegals will not be covered – but they are covered in the draft bills.
Obama says nothing will change in your current health care coverage, not your insurance or doctor – but he lies – Medicare Advantage will be taken away and reform will result in change. This is an area targeted for savings.
Obama doesn’t tell you about the word ‘trigger’ which happens when the insurance industry doesn’t comply with caps and reduces fees — government run health care kicks in.
Obama says he will not sign a bill that increases the deficit. He lies. How can you pass a trillion dollar health care bill with out increasing the deficit?
When has the government ever run anything well: the Post Office, Amtrak, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and more recently Stimulus and cash for clunkers?
Obama has promised ‘change you can believe in’ – but he has failed to deliver any such thing.
There are three issues that I believe worthy of health care reform if clearly worded and the details are understandable to all:
- Insurance cannot be denied for pre-existing conditions, nor should there be caps
- Mandated health care insurance for all
- The ability to buy into health insurance plans at group rates and the right to cross State lines to obtain the lowest price
These three objectives can be achieved with out the public option. I don’t want the government running my health care.
Obama has delivered some 212 health care messages since he has been in office. He is in my face more than my wife, and it seems that rhetoric is his only forte. Even Hitler was a great speech maker – but it didn’t make him a great leader.
Obama’s poll numbers are going down with his popularity. There are those town hall meetings, that he was so good at organizing when he was back in Chicago, and those tea party protests that he gets out of town for so he doesn’t see the obvious that are bringing down this presidency — but he’s not listening. He would rather suggest that they are organized by fringe groups and that misinformation is being passed around by liars.
There are some out there on the liberal side that think all of this is about race. Maureen Dowd, that left wing liberal Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times called Obama today, “the ultimate civil rights figure – a black man whose legitimacy is constantly challenged by a loco fringe.”
Well I don’t think that’s what it’s all about. It’s about the issues. It’s about common sense. It’s about our constitution. It’s about our economy. It’s about big government getting bigger under a radical president.
While Obama has taken on, in his short 7 months in office, financial institutions, banks, the auto industry, appoints some 32 Czars, accountable only to him, and he now wants to run health care during a period of time when 50% of people’s homes have a value less than their mortgage, the unemployment rate is above 10% and economists are projecting 15 years without job growth, this president wants to spend more and create bigger government. We currently borrow 40% of our annual budget.
It’s not race – it’s a lack of common sense.
4 users commented in " Obama Can Call One A Liar; But No One Else Has Same Right? "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackDid President Obama call Governor Palin a liar on the House floor? If he actually did it may have been in poor taste but would not be prohibited by any House rules.
As a constitutional expert you are certainly familiar with the First Amendment which allows for free expression of speech. Mr. Wilson can, if he chooses to, call our president a liar or any other description most places at any time with an exception being on the floor of the House when the president is in attendance. Some lawmakers in the past have been criticized for personal attacks on a president during routine House debate when the chief executive was not present. House guidelines on the rules of debate say it is impermissible to refer to the president as a liar. For that reason he was rightfully rebuked for doing so.
If I have some time in the coming days I would like respond to some of your other comments which are largely inaccurate or without any factual basis.
Actually, trying to find some logic in your thoughts must have been how Alice felt at The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
Floating out the word ‘inaccurate’ without specifics is not very helpful nor transparent. Decorum and rules aside, the president was ‘inaccurate’ about a House bill not covering illegals’ and should be called on it, although the forum in which it was done was inappropriate. As for you seeing ‘some logic’ in my thoughts, it is not at all surprising to NOT find ‘logic’ between the thoughts of a liberal and a conservative.
Thank you for your reply. I think it’s unfortunate that you so easily revert to labeling people whose opinions on certain issues are in conflict with your own. In my opinion it diminishes your stated positions for which you obviously feel passionate about.
The fact is that depending on the issue I may be considered very conservative and on others more liberal. I try to evaluate those issues and the conclusions I arrive at are not controlled by any ideology but by the issues themselves.
Likewise, I have supported and voted for individuals of both parties based only on who I believe would do the best job for the country.
The only positions I consistently reject are those of extremes – either right or left.
I am labeling your present and past positions on the issues that we are discussing, which appear to be liberal. I am not labeling actions that I am not aware of, nor you as an individual who I don’t know. For you see, I too have voted for individuals of both parties, based upon their qualifications and what, in my opinion, would be best for the country. Labels, unfortunately are a part of our society – even outside the realm of politics. Although, I make reference to conservative views on issues, I am not a conservative – more likely a Libertarian.
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