Wolking’s World

If there is one thing congressional Republicans, party leaders, and conservative bloggers are in near-universal agreement with Rahm Emanuel, Nancy Pelosi, and Joe Biden on, it’s that Representative Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) was wrong last night to shout “You lie!” at President Obama during his speech before a joint session of Congress. Decorum, they say, is of utmost importance.

Baloney.

There are four reasons why Representative Joe Wilson’s comment was right and justified.

Obama is lying outright and hiding the truth. Everyone from conservative bloggers to members of Congress to independent fact checkers agree that Democrats and Obama are lying when they say non-citizens accessing government-run health care will not happen. Sure, the bill says it won’t, but the truth is that Democrats voted down more than one measure that would have closed the loophole that still exists–no enforcement mechanism is provided in the bill. What Obama said last night (“There are also those who claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants.  This, too, is false.  The reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.”) is utterly false. It’s a lie. Obama said that these “bogus claims” are being spread by “those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost.” The President thus implied that conservative bloggers, members of Congress, and independent fact checkers themselves are purposefully being dishonest. He accused them of being malicious in their actions. It’s utterly Orwellian, and the arrogance of it all is staggering.

What’s more, conservatives’ and Republicans’ central reason for opposing Obama’s brand of health care reform is because of how disastrous it is for the country. It’s irreversible. It will hand control of a large sector of our economy over to government bureaucrats. It will decrease the supply of care. It will lead to a single payer system. It will increase costs. It will swell already-catastrophic deficits to new, mind-boggling proportions. It will cover abortions. It will bankrupt our country. It will require a permanent tax increase. If all these things are true and the consequences of Obamacare really are that bad, how is breaching a little decorum not justified? If we really believe we lose our country if this bill passes, why worry about how civil our legislative chambers will be in the new Socialist States of America? Is this one of freedom’s last stands or not?

The Democrats have done far worse, and the respect due the office of the President–a valid principle–does not and should not apply here. In 2005, Democrats shouted down President George W. Bush during the State of the Union address when he was citing statistics on the insolvency of Social Security. Let me be clear: they grossly violated the standard they are demanding Wilson be held to now simply because they didn’t like the facts Bush related in his speech. Then they rejoiced when he was assaulted with flying shoes.

As a candidate, Obama ordered his minions to “argue with [neighbors], get in their face.” Last night, minutes after being called out by Wilson, the President threatened those who “misrepresent what’s in this plan,” saying, “we will call you out.” Over the summer, Democrat leaders demonized ordinary Americans who attended town halls as racists, evil-mongers, Nazis, mobsters, terrorists, and the like.

Respect is due the highest office in the land, just as it was when Bush was in office and dissent became the highest form of patriotism in Democrat minds. But when the President has lowered himself already, telling political opponents to shut up and get out of the way and is now trying to blatantly lie a bill through Congress, the madness must stop. If our criticisms of this president are actually true, having the courage to point out that the emporer has no clothes in the middle of his speech is the bare minimum that Republican voters should be requiring of their candidates in 2010.

This created political firestorm helps Republicans, no matter what kind of garbage NBC spits out. Senator Jim DeMint’s Waterloo comment was an essential turning point for Republicans this summer. It brought the true nature of the health care debate to light, exposing Obama’s hurry-up offense and empty rhetoric for what it was. It thrust one of the strongest defenders of conservative health care solutions in the Senate into the national spotlight and it got people talking. Without that comment, it is much more likely that Obamacare would have made it through Congress before recess as this administration originally intended it to. It would not have been studied, picked apart, or even read. August’s town halls would have never happened. Obama’s approval numbers would have remained healthy. And he would be looking to sign cap-and-trade legislation by December.

Joe Wilson is now at the top of the Drudge Report. He is in a relatively safe seat, and he only said what millions of Americans were already shouting at their televisions. The country isn’t buying his voodoo economics, that we can increase the quality and quantity of care, have the government administer it, and still cut costs any more than they believe the president who wants to grant amnesty in 2010 won’t hand out health care in 2009. Wilson has singlehandedly positioned the GOP to capitalize on the illegal alien issue. It’s one of the most politically solid things to stand on, and there are so many ways we can win with it. Americans will find it curious that the President is claiming his plan won’t cover illegals while his party is voting that very measure down repeatedly.

What did Wilson gain by apologizing? Not much. The Left is still in a tizzy and Democrats in Congress will still push for censure. They may even get it, the way Republicans have been tripping over themselves to hang Wilson out to dry since last night. They did the same to DeMint in July. Obamacare isn’t dead yet, but if Wilson is willing to wage war like his fellow South Carolinian did earlier this summer, conservatives stand a better chance of driving a stake through this nightmare of a proposal for good.