Eugene Robinson: No Way to Treat a President

[marmar]

from Truthdig:



No Way to Treat a President

Posted on Sep 10, 2009
By Eugene Robinson


Anyone who watched Wednesday night as President Obama explained his health care reform proposals to Congress saw a chief executive making what sounded like a genuine appeal for bipartisanship—and his opponents behaving like a bunch of spoiled first-graders. Obama should ignore them, even if they hold their breath until they turn blue.

House Republicans were particularly ostentatious in showing their disrespect not just for Obama but for the office he holds. The outburst by Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina—who shouted “You lie!” when Obama said his plan would not cover illegal immigrants—was only the most egregious display of contempt. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House minority whip, fiddled with his BlackBerry while the commander in chief was speaking. Other Republicans made a show of waving copies of their own alleged reform plan, which isn’t really a plan at all.

And Rep. Louis Gohmert of Texas waved hand-lettered signs at the president, as if he thought he were attending one of those made-for-television town hall meetings rather than a solemn gathering of the nation’s highest elected officials.

Throughout the speech, there was grumbling, mugging and eye-rolling on the Republican side that was not only undignified but frankly un-American. When I was a correspondent in London, I covered far more raucous sessions of the British House of Commons—that’s how Parliament treats the prime minister, who is the head of government. In the United States, that simply is not how Congress treats the president, who is the head of state.

Congress didn’t heckle Lyndon Johnson like that during the Vietnam War or Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. Congress didn’t even show that kind of bitterness and aggression toward George W. Bush, who did lie—specifically, about the intelligence that his administration relied on to justify an unnecessary war that has cost 4,300 American lives and enough money to fund Obama’s health care proposals for a decade. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090910_no_way_to_treat_a_president/

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Anything to Demean this man and what he represents , What they resent

is a threat to ' The Good Old Boy Network '

[safeinOhio]

2. I love their number one excuse

They do it in England at Parliament. I'd tell them it is only because they have national health care in England.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. According to them, we are only to respect Republican presidents

and by respect they mean lock-step agreement with them. But Democratic presidents are fair game to be shouted at--and what's next? As my husband says, at least one element of this is racist--they can't stand the fact that a compassionate, articulate black man is president.

[Doctor_J]

4. Repukes are barely human - no morals, no consciences, no self-respect

Remember "Kill him" at the Palin rallies? They should be treated like rabid dogs

[Skittles]

5. repukes are disgracing America

it's that simple

[Overseas]

6. K&R. //nt