You Lie!

Imagine the setting.  Feel the history in the pomp and circumstance of a presidential entrance into the chambers of the House of Representatives.  Consider the deep respect commanded by the office of the presidency.  Tradition runs deep and all in attendance rise to their feet as our leader makes his way to the podium.

President George W. Bush stands before his audience and a nation reeling from economic collapse and declares that our banking system is sound.  Max Baucus stands up and yells, “You lie!”

Now consider the Republican response to such an outrage.  Our imagination need not wander far. The cable news outlets would be flooded with conservatives choking with rage.  Pompous talking heads would express indignant fury.  Accusations of treason would fly like sparks at a July 4 party.  Democrats would be called un-American, unpatriotic, Communists.   Right wing radio would be saturated with angry callers, fueled by the demagoguery of talking heads fanning the flames of hate.  Pious calls for apology would ring out.  The incident would dominate all news coverage, serving as the perfect excuse for misdirection and misinformation.  All discussion of the issues of the day would cease in the onslaught of righteous indignation that anybody would dare dishonor the presidency with such a disgusting display of disrespect.

Let nobody have any doubt that an outburst against Bush in a speech before a joint session of the Congress would lead to this inevitable Republican response.  Visualize the flapping jowls of Rush Limbaugh, the bloated face of Glenn Beck and the heavy smirk of Sean Hannity as they bleat on about the real America, and how Republicans would never soil sacred tradition like those radical Democrats.

Let us then listen carefully to the reaction to the outburst by South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson as President Obama spoke to the nation.  Wait…  Yes, that is indeed a deafening silence I hear in the distance.  Instead of a fire hose of protests, we heard some muted grumbling from John McCain and Rep.  Jerry Lewis that Wilson was disrespectful.  Some moderate Republicans have suggested the behavior warrants further scrutiny to determine if any sanctions are warranted.  But where is the outrage on the airways, on cable news and in the blogosphere?  Where is the red-faced fury?  Where are the calls for immediate apologies?

The double standard held by Republicans has gone too far.

This hyper-partisanship is destroying our ability to solve our most pressing problems.  Republicans have become delusional in thinking that anything done by the GOP is righteous and all actions on the left are threats to our life and liberty.  Reason has been thrown out the door, replaced with a blinded, single-minded and hateful view of the world.  They openly wish for Obama to fail, which if in reverse they would decry as anti-American.  They actively seek to derail health care reform of any kind, no matter the cost of inaction to the nation’s long-term prosperity.  They have redefined hypocrisy by ignoring failures on the right and blatantly lying about the left, often accusing Democrats of the very abuses perpetrated by Republicans.  Think of the response to Joe Wilson’s ridiculous behavior.  Think of family values, Mark Sanford and John Ensign.  Speaking of which, why hasn’t Joe Wilson cried out “You lie!” when Mark Sanford speaks?  Fox News routinely called Bush protesters unpatriotic, but applauded the tea party protests against Obama.  We must no longer abide this repulsive blind bias and hypocritical intolerance.

President Obama said the time for action is now.  He is right, and so too is it time to abandon any pretense of bipartisanship.  We need to push the Republicans aside so that we may govern responsibly.  Obama tried mightily to engage the other side, and in return he is denigrated as a Communist.  A dialogue requires at least two parties; otherwise one is talking to oneself.  That is now the case. 

Republicans no longer represent a viable partner in governing.  After eight years of Bush the GOP’s commitment to small government, lower taxes and a balanced budget is comical.  Those ideals remain desirable, but only the Democrats can ultimately deliver in the context of responsible leadership.  Immediately following Obama’s address, the Republican response shamelessly continued to talk about government “rationing” when nothing of the kind is being remotely considered in any of the health care proposals. The Party of family values is gagging on a never-ending series of extra-marital affairs both gay and straight.  The conservative Supreme Court is indifferent to innocents being executed even when DNA evidence clearly exonerates the accused. Cheney is on the stump justifying torture, even that done outside the grotesque guidelines he approved.  The GOP has become a parody if itself, a Saturday Night Live skit.

The GOP is now the Party of lies, misinformation, misdirection, torture, infidelity, illegal wars, bloated government, higher taxes, broken health care, and murder of the innocent.  What a platform.

President Obama needs to move on.  His attempt to engage the Republicans was worthy, and could have been successful if the other side was open to reasonable compromise.  Instead the GOP is committed to destructive opposition.  We need to move beyond the false story of the right and leave the GOP behind to wallow in its hateful brew of disinformation and hypocrisy while responsible Democrats take the country into the future.

Follow Jeff Schweitzer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JeffSchweitzer

Comments

[doodlefarbe]

"The double standard held by Republicans has gone too far."

Gimme a break. Every time someone with a "D" after their name does something outlandish, the "R"s all whine about double standards, and every time someone with an "R" after their name does something outlandish, the "D"s all whine about double standards.

All the R's manufacture outrage, all the D's manufacture outrage; why not instead we just deal with things honestly?

[MegWe]

Yes...wouldn't that be nice! That is what the President is trying to do.

[Jeff Schweitzer - Huffpost Blogger]

The reactions are not equivalent; again I ask you to imagine the reaction to Joe Wilson if were were a Democrat yellingt out against Reagan or Bush, And then claim the reaction would be symmetrical.

[doodlefarbe]

Mr. Schweitzer, how is Wilson's rude heckling any different than the several Democrats who actively booed Bush, interrupting him during one of his addresses before the joint session? (Believe it was one of the SOTU addresses).

Not one of the booing Democrats apologized for heckling/i­nterruptin­g during that address.

Very little media attention (other than to note it as a fact) was paid to it.

Of course, the fanatic Repubs moaned and whined about (just as the fanatic Dems are now).

[Greg Petty]

PAbody surfer great post,pretty much sums it up

[Ritsprit]

This article sums it all up perfectly and thoroughly describes the political atmosphere the Republicans have created. It has become volitile and viral in the most negative extremes. The American people deserve so much better than what is being thrown at us daily. We deserve the right to activate the positive changes so many of us are working hard to create, without the constant disruptions and governmentless mindset of the Party of "No". Haven't we progressed since the days of the Wild Wild West? Civility is key.

[Fred Hood]

DITTO

[Matt7]

"The GOP is now the Party of lies, misinformation, misdirection, torture, infidelity, illegal wars, bloated government, higher taxes, broken health care, and murder of the innocent."

NOW? When did your meter start running?

[Jeff Schweitzer - Huffpost Blogger]

To all those who objected to the "now" part of my formulation, let me say that I believe we need to make a distinction in periods pre- and post-Bush. While I vigorously disagreed with most Republican efforts prior to Bush, the party was a viable opponent, and actually tried to govern responsibly (even if wrong-headed from my perspective). But Bush took the party to a gross level of incompetence, petulance, hypocrisy and criminality never before seen on the national stage. So when I say "now" I mean recent history, not now as in today.

[Greg Petty]

great ,to the point hits the nail on the head

[SewaneeLeftist]

Good clarification; point taken.

[lgillooly]

Even with the Dems in power the power of controlling the message and airwaves wins out. If anyone believes the media is liberally biased they are insane.
Until there is accountability on our radio stations and cable stations this hateful propaganda will win the day. Talk radio reaches over 50 million people per week. It is 90 percent right wing hate speech. Until they cannot lie and incite hate we will continue down this self destructive path.
This is not what our founders meant by free speech.This is political terrorism.

[Bankerrkt]

"If anyone believes the media is liberally biased they are insane." Well according to a study perfomed by the University of Connecticut’s Department of Public Policy that surveyed 300 journalists nationwide, 52% voted fro John Kerry while only 19% voted for George W Bush. The media actually voted by a wider margin for Obama than McCain. So to say the media doesn't lean toward the left is simply not factual. During the White House Press Corps Dinner, Obama himself made a comment about the press voting for him. So our founders meant we need to shut up the folks we disagree with? That's what they meant by free speech? What a ridiculous interpretation of the 1A.. You want censorship, not free speech.

[satumma]

You might want to make a distinction. I would expect journalists to vote for liberals because practicing real journalism is a liberal pursuit, much like being a baptist preacher is a conservative pursuit. Talking heads and media owners on the other hand are generally corporatists who lean heavily in favor of the republicans who support regressive economic policies designed to consolidate wealth. Right now, what passes for "news", aside from some real journalism that gets largely ignored by many, is paid propaganda from media owners to support general agendas.

[johninoregon]

It stands to reason that people attracted to journalism would, for the most part, have above-average research and analytical skills, a respect for facts, and some talent for seeing through the B.S. they inevitably encounter on their daily rounds. Ask yourself why someone with those qualiities would vote for a George W. Bush or a John McCain.

[Beca]

Who individual "news" people voted for has no baring on how the media slants the news. The owners of the media outlets are predominantly republican and aligned with big industry who are major sponsors--these are the ones who dictate the slant of the news. Media Matters, an independent group monitors that slant, and time and time again, it has found that the slant is right wing all the way with a few exceptions. News should not be slanted, it should be based on facts not opinions, this is why I don't even watch the news anymore, it's not news, its opinion. When the repubs spew their obvious lies and deceptions, the news outlets just recited those lies as fact, rather than doing the responsible thing and fact check what those goons say, and report the facts. It is a great disservice to the American people because it denies them the opportunity to make informed decisions on important matters that do affect their lives, like health care reform. Without facts, people tend to support initiatives that are against their own best interests. It is despicable.

[lgillooly]

censorship is not what we need, but facts should not be optional.
When lies, distortions and inciting hatred is on the majority of AM radio which reaches 50 million per week that is a danger to our Country. Why is it OK to make up conspiracy theories and attack half of the country based on opinion without accountability?
Look what happened in Iraq? If the truth and facts were mandatory we never would have been involved in Iraq. We would have focused on the Afghanistan War and finished the job we needed to. Sadly, the neocons, that had wanted to invade Iraq for years (see project for a New American Century) controlled the message(media)

[TruerBlue]

While I agree that the Republicans are acting everywhere in the spectrum from being petulant sore losers to being outrageously and virulently libelous, and slanderous, fabricating “facts”, obfuscating, lying, and using blatant scare tactics to advance their no-ideas-b­ut-boiling­-vitriol agenda, the Democrats, who have majorities (one which is arguably filibuster-proof), need to grow a set of cajones and a spine. I also agree that efforts to legislate in a magnanimous spirit of bi-partisanship has run its course: when they enjoyed the majority, the Republicans swatted the Democrats away as though they were annoying insects, and now, when the situation is reversed, they, much like spoiled children, act, not only irresponsibly (particularly to their constituents), but, detrimentally to all. What really bothers me, however, is the lack of visible protest (picketing, strikes, etc.) from progressives. Back in the 1960s, such things were commonplace: it seemed that you could hardly blink your eyes before another event was reported. The elected legislators are a part of the problem. But, it is the people who seem to have abdicated their duty, so succinctly and eloquently expressed as Thomas Jefferson did: “The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance.".
I find it very frustrating that posting such comments as this constitute all I can do, given that I am unemployed, destitute and living in the street, as a result of my economic plight.
Finally: what ever happened to all of these jobs that Obama promised to create?

[Matt7]

Good post, TruerBlue. You've got the Republicans, spot on. The Democrats just need to understand that "to do nothing" about this escalating disrespect is harmful, and just poi sons the well.

Don't think about speaking up as "all you can do." You have the presence of mind and resources to be able to make that happen on occasion; and trust me, that can help you keep going, and is proof that you're "still here and kicking."

I hope your situation improves soon. Regarding the jobs: I'm grateful for the number of jobs that have been saves; I guess the job creation part is still a little bit further down the pike. So much needs to happen before we begin to see our way clear on THAT front. Just try to ensure that you're equipped and prepared to step through that door when it opens.

[RiceStarz]

"The GOP is now the Party of lies, misinformation, misdirection, torture, infidelity, illegal wars, bloated government, higher taxes, broken health care, and murder of the innocent. What a platform." That just about sums it up Sir. Brilliant and succinct.

[PAbodysurfer]

Could not have said it better...every night I watch the news in disbelief at the countless lies spewed forth by the GOP and their acolytes (Limbaugh, Palin, Beck, O'Reilly, Bachman, etc.).

The Religious Right needs to stop thumping their Bibles and start reading them...particularly the passages that refer to the "Prince of Lies" ....actually there are two - Bush and Cheney....MSNBC noted that the Bush administration lied on 500+ separate occasions...this is mindboggli­ng...appar­ently from 2000-2008 we were living George Orwell's "1984"

[timbonotes]

let me get this straight. you just figured this out?...better late than never, i guess

[SewaneeLeftist]

Exactly right, Mr. Schweitzer, word for word, point for point. I have just one slight quarrel. You say:

The GOP is now the Party of lies, misinformation, misdirection, torture, infidelity, illegal wars, bloated government, higher taxes, broken health care, and murder of the innocent. What a platform.

And I say the "now" has had no place in that paragraph for years.