More "Gotcha" Politics? I Do Hope Not!
Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina shouted “You Lie,” during President Barack Obama’s speech Wednesday evening to a joint session of Congress. The comment was rude, disrespectful, and way out of line. Nevertheless, Wilson has apologized to the President, the Vice President and to the President’s Chief of Staff. His apologies were accepted by everyone to whom he spoke. He says that he has apologized enough. I agree completely.
Some reports say the Democrat leadership of the House of Representatives will propose a censure resolution in the House if Wilson does not apologize again to the entire House. I don’t know if Democrat leaders actually do plan to do this, but I hope they don’t. The man made a mistake he said he was sorry to the aggrieved parties, and they accepted his apology. Let that end this unfortunate case.
Both Republicans and Democrats have spent enough time over the past 20 or so years playing “gotcha” politics. It is time to stop it. One “gotcha” always leads to another. I could give you a brief history of “gotcha” politics since the 1990s, but you probably know it as well as I do. If you know it, you know that both sides (Democrats and Republicans) are equally guilty. Congress is paid to do America’s business and not to snipe and nit pic at one another, like 12 year old kids.
So I say to Congress and particularly to the Democrat leadership, please drop the petty, junior-high gotchas. In my view, none of you guys are so lily white that you can afford to call names. Why not, instead, spend the time working out a compromise on some of the important issues before the Congress this year. That is what we sent you there to do. Can you say, “health-care reform.”
- Bob Hertzog's blog
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ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT BOB SAYS, WATCH WHITEHOUSE SPOKESMAN ROBERT GIBBS DANCE AROUND A DIRECT QUESTION FROM CNN'S JOHN KING ABOUT THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK. This happened yesterday on CNN's State of the Union:
KING: The debate has turned very partisan and some of the language has turned coarse. One of the things that caught my eye is on the night of the president's speech, the Republicans chose Charles Boustany, a doctor from Louisiana, to respond.
Even before he spoke, the Democratic National Committee, which is staffed by people mostly from the Obama campaign, they closely coordinate their message with the White House, they put out a press release saying, Congressman Boustany, is quote, "in the pocket of the health care and pharmaceutical industries."
In the pocket because he has taken more than $537,000 in campaign contributions from health care PACs in his roughly four-and-a-half years in Congress. Using the same database that the DNC used, we went back and looked at some prominent Democrats.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has taken more money than that. Steny Hoyer, the House majority leader, more than that. Chairman Charlie Rangel of the Ways and Means Committee, more than twice as much as Congressman Boustany. Chairman Henry Waxman, who wrote the health care bill in the House, more than Congressman Boustany.
Over in the Senate, the majority leader, the Senate Finance Committee chairman, and the Senate Budget Committee chairman, all Democrats, have taken more than Congressman Boustany.
By the Democratic National Committee's definition, are all those prominent Democrats in the pocket of the health care and pharmaceutical industries? GIBBS: Well, look, I think if you look at the record of many of the people that you put up there, they are people that have fought for low-cost drugs for our seniors. They're fighting for health care reform. I...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: That's not what the DNC release said. It used a number. It used a number. GIBBS: I think the best thing that we could do is bring Democrats and Republicans together to solve one of the biggest problems, one of the problems that we have faced for the longest period of time in Washington, is health care reform. I think...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Would it help, then -- would it help, then, if the party you controlled didn't say people were "in the pocket" based on their money?
GIBBS: I think if we had a debate about the facts, if we all got in a room and discussed the issue and the importance of health care reform, I've been struck that even as Republicans -- some Republicans have said they don't favor what the president is doing, they've certainly come back from their town hall meetings understanding that we have to do something.
They've heard from their constituents that, for far too long, our premiums have skyrocketed, we've dealt with insurance companies that have discriminated based on what they consider a pre-existing condition, and more and more small businesses are having to drop their coverage as a result of those costs.
I think what the American people want most of all, whether you're protesting in front of the Capitol or you're at the president's rally in Minnesota yesterday, is for Washington to put aside the game- playing and start to begin to solve the very big problems that our country faces.
I think that's what the majority of people want to do in Congress. I know that's what the president believes he was elected to do. And I think it would be a good start to deal with health care.
Source: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0909/13/sotu.01.html
- Thomas Paine
Hi Bard... Thanks for the comment and the information. Good points! Everyone has their special interests and there's nothing we can do about it. That's too bad ... I wish there was.
I think the power still resides in us, despite the overlays of politics, lobbyists, big business, union clannishness. We just have to wake up and use it.
- Thomas Paine
This is a very interesting discussion. and I am actually understanding it. humm Maybe you should figure out how you are having such a civil discussion and send it to congress and they could learn.....;-) IMO
Like stars across the sky … . E per avvincere ….. Tu dovrai vincere ...
We were born to shine …All of us here because we believe......