The martyrdom of
Joe Wilson now achieves the star billing of a burlesque act as Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina is said to have persuaded Speaker
Nancy Pelosi that the House must vote on a resolution shaming the man from South Carolina. I expected to see a document of hammer blows. Instead, what was actually introduced for voting is the sort of vague exasperation associated with a humble substitute teacher who is overwhelmed by the rascals at the back of the chemistry class. The final vote, 240-179, was anti-climactic, along party lines with a
handful of snarky aisle-crossers form both camps.
RESOLUTION
Raising a question of the privileges of the House.
Whereas on September 9, 2009, during the joint session of
Congress convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution
179, the President of the United States, speaking
at the invitation of the House and Senate, had his remarks
interrupted by the Representative from South
Carolina, Mr. Wilson; and
Whereas the conduct of the Representative from South Carolina
was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings
of the joint session, to the discredit of the
House: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, during the joint session of Congress held on September 9, 2009.
Who told Clyburn to ignore Pelosi?
The Speaker's first instinct last Thursday was to drop the idea of shaming Joe Wilson, and her Majority Leader Steny Hoyer agreed. It was an expedient decision. The Democratic partisan websites looked to understand how making Wilson the victim of a pompous House majority not only drags the story out but also brings into question the original issue of the POTUS's claim that illegal immigrants will not be granted healthcare in the reform bill. That was the claim that triggered Wilson's misbehavior. "You lie!" is now declared unacceptable language. "You misstate!" or "You fib!" or "You err!" are all, I learn today, acceptable. Even the sing-songing phraseology of such as "Give me a break!" would have worked. In today's House, the word "lie" is a no-go -- like "hate" and "hypocrite" and then the usual vulgarities of broadcasting. Yes, it is all regulated farce, but then this is Congress, and the members have advanced from the days when they had to check their firearms at the door. So how did Nancy Pelosi not prevail on this? I do not have the answer. The first explanation that Whip Jim Clyburn pressed the issue over the last days does not hold up upon review. The loyal and aggressive Clyburn would not move to ignore or counter Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer if it was against the interest of POTUS. My guess just now is that Rahm Emanuel had to give the approval for the resolution. For Rahm, the timid way the resolution now reads, "disapproves of the behavior," is a demonstration of personal restraint. Mrs. Pelosi lost out, then, because Rahm Emanuel wanted to illustrate how he has grown in office as Chief of Staff of both the Executive and Legislative branches. Joe Wilson was scolded so that Rahm Emanuel can mature -- like a really confident substitute teacher.
This is revenge for the impeachment of Bill Clinton.
revenge for Clinton? It's not even revenge against Joe Wilson! I am voting every incumbent out, out, out,....this is our Congress in the midst of silly season with Mr. Emanuel as the choir director. I don't remember voting for him either.
Fiddling while Rome burns anyone? Anon.
Barack and Rahm better beware. They are stirring-up a hornet's nest when Nancy let's her gal pals know what just happened. No work is going to get done and that will leave egg on everyone's face, including Barack when NO healthcare bill shows up on his desk.
Ah just the way I like it.
Yes, much confidence being expressed from the White House.
From the rebuke of the rabble rallies to the Federal Hall warnings to the Union pep talk, there appears a motioning from a sweeping arm and hand, beckoning. With a glance behind for one final look at the past, the call is "Come, let's take this journey! We are going here and we need you! We reject the old and herald the new! We are going... come with us! Together, we cannot fail! We are the United States of America!"
The feeling is that this is not much about Party affiliation or politics. This is something different. This is courage, raw and stunning.
While people play in the pettiness of finger pointing, fear mongering, fleeting rectitude, and highfalutin falsities, the struggle to break through the defeatism and define a path goes on... bravely, resolutely, and purposefully.
Whose remarks are these?--->>
"I have always been a strong believer in the power of the free market. I believe that jobs are best created not by government, but by businesses and entrepreneurs willing to take a risk on a good idea. I believe that the role of the government is not to disparage wealth, but to expand its reach; not to stifle markets, but to provide the ground rules and level playing field that helps to make those markets more vibrant -- and that will allow us to better tap the creative and innovative potential of our people. For we know that it is the dynamism of our people that has been the source of America's progress and prosperity."
Sound familiar to anyone?
Just a curiosity, far away from the maddening crowd.
I see a certain clarity in the sudden strike in Somalia on AQ Saleh Nabhan to the taunts and insults that made up Bin Laden's recent audio.
Not relevant here, really, just a sidenote... or as they say in baseball "Nice Pitch!"
"Hey, Bob. You've heard this tape... what do you think?"
"Mr President, I honestly don't like it at all."
"Yeh, me neither. Got anybody we can get to real quick?"
"I'll check, Mr President, and get back to you shortly."
"Okay... or just take care of it. Okay? You know, if time restrains, ummm... you know"
"Yes sir, Mr President. Will do."
"
Joe Wilson is a fake. If he really thought he was right, he wouldn't apologize. As far as the resolution goes, in NY we say that and $2.25 will get you a ride on the subway. Who cares. It's distracting us from what we should be keeping our eyes on.
Maybe he thinks he was right in that Obama really does lie, but wrong to shout it out like that. I did notice that when he called Rahm Emanuel to apologize, he prefaced it with "I was instructed to call and apologize". Joe Wilson just shouted out what I and probably many others like me were feeling listening to that speech by Obama. I have a business associate who's in favor of single payer and even he was furious with some of the whoppers Obama was telling that night. To those who say that Wilson profaned the halls of Congress with his outburst that night, I say that Obama profaned the halls of Congress worse with his reckless disregard for the truth. People come and go but truth burns eternal. "Veritas Vos Liberabit"
As for distracting us from what we should be focusing on, I personally welcome a little diversion. I have been living, sleeping, breathing, dreaming the Health Care debate for the last two months. I walk to and from work sometimes and the phrase "I don't know but I been told... Public Option's got to go!" keeps on going through my mind as I march along. In short, I badly need a vacation from all this. I sure hope it's over soon.
A few overweight zealots at Move-on and other dot-com hipsters are running the Democratic party. They bring in the bucks and cannot be ignored.
On the other hand, a few actors with hidden cameras has taken down ACORN. ACORN was the Dems Ace in the hole, the organization to help them distribute housing dollars and get-out the vote program.
JB you keep talking about the collapse of the GOP, but the Democrats are getting more strident. 500k tea-partyers show up in DC, ACORN, Obama Care is fizzling, Pelosi Still has not apologized ot the CIA, and Senator Reid has fallen off the face of the earth.
The GOP is not organized, but the revolutionary party of the people is in awful shape.
If Joe Wilson finds his voice, he may lead the GOP to the promised land.
Nahh,,, don't sweat the small stuff
With each successive whimper Congress emits, its members make themselves more and more irrelevant. Don’t these people see that they’re digging their own graves? JB is right, Clyburn probably did it at the behest of Obama. The president wants nothing more than for Congress to implode so he can then sweep up the bits and throw them into the trash.
Finally!, time and money well spent, congratulations Congress. They should just chastise individual members all day, every day.
Thank you Jim L; "Joe Wilson is a fake. If he really thought he was right, he wouldn't apologize........ Who cares. It's distracting us from what we should be keeping our eyes on.
EXACTLY!...
Attention: All Constituents will keep their attention on the "sideshow" while Congress and the POTUS and Rahm Emmanuel AND the "Czars" pull the wool over our eyes.
Any magic trick (illusion) is accomplished by distracting the audience from what is really happening.
And Obama is a master illusionist.
As far as Joe Wilson's statement: "I was instructed to call and apologize"..we honestly don't need any more "party-loyalists" to conduct the Nation's business.
What we do need is to vote out all the incumbents and "career" politicians and exercise our very own "Regime Change"..throw them all out!
CHANGE that WE can BELIEVE in!
Inherent in all this is the unquestioned presumption that the change would result in an improvement over the status quo. I prefer the status quo. I'm healthy, making a good living, and my loved ones are taken care of. Other people's problems are ... well.... other people's problems. I would never burden them with my problems, I ask only that they extend me the same courtesy.
No more taxation! I've paid enough. To hell with anyone who asks me to pay any more money, for any reason. I'll self-destruct before I give them the pleasure of another whack at me.
By the way, I never noticed it before, but that Baucus is really a very nice-looking gentleman.
John:
Joe Wilson is a "martyr"? Really?
A suggestion: You seem like one of the few remaining decent and rational thinking Republicans remaining in this country. Since there are currently no leaders or adults in the farce known as the GOP, why don't you, John, have the courage and integrity to admit that Joe Wilson's outburst was rude and tacky? Full stop. End of excuses.
Let me give my answer to this question. For me personally, it's because I still haven't received a collective apology from liberals for 8 years of vilifying GWB, a man who I believe could have made an excellent President if he had been given any support at all. Where was the liberal outrage when a shoe was thrown at President Bush? What about the booing during Bush's 2005 State-of-the-union? What about bumper stickers comparing Bush to Hitler? What about Maureen Dowd's bi-weekly vilification of Bush (among many other liberal columnists)? Absolutely terrible, vile, hateful things about Bush were routinely said. There was a popular hit song about him where the chorus was "See the idiot walk, see the idiot talk....". Granted the rules of decorum are different in Congress than they are for the media or pop culture, but nobody in Congress ever stood up and said "Enough is enough, he's our President and we should respect him". Instead, you all compared him to and drew him like a chimpanzee for 8 years. So, what's happened to Obama so far is absolute light-weight, chickenfeed compared to what I had to put up with listening to for a man that I really liked. And still like ... he blew the last 2 years regarding the financial crisis, but I give him full, 100% credit for saving us from the twin evils of another 9/11 attack and the Kyoto Treaty for 8 long years. Apologize right now for liberal's vilification of Bush and I'll apologize for Wilson.