Joe Wilson: Just Another Heckler in the Crowd

Surprised? Why would you be surprised?

A congressman shouts at the president. A Member of Congress shouts "You lie!" at the President of the United States -- right there in the halls of Congress, right there in the middle of a major presidential address -- and everyone claims to be stunned.

Everyone hasn't been paying attention.

The congressman in question was one Joe Wilson, Republican of South Carolina, but it didn't have to be Joe Wilson. It could have been somebody else. And if it hadn't happened when it did, on Wednesday evening, it would have happened soon enough. It was waiting to happen.

The members were just back in town, after all, after their August recess. It's never easy to return to school rules -- jacket and tie and a civil tongue -- after weeks of summer vacation. Even congressmen need time to readjust.

Besides, once you've spent day after day among the constituents, hearing the president being called a Nazi, a commie, a socialist tool, a terrorist mole -- hey, after nonstop trash talk from the town-hallers and the tea-baggers and the cable cranks, calling Barack Obama a liar must have seemed almost quaint.

It couldn't have been easy, sitting there in silence as the president called Joe Wilson out -- not personally, but generically, Wilson and many of his GOP pals -- for their inconsistencies and their hypocrisies. For their deliberate distortions and their public-be-damned political calculations.

The president called him out, and promised to do it again, and as often as necessary. He was willing to listen to the "serious" people, the president said. He was willing to work with the "serious" people to try to fix the country's teetering health-care system -- but he wasn't about to waste any more time on the phonies and the fabricators.

It's the kind of attitude that might rub a congressman the wrong way, you know what I mean?

At least Joe Wilson wasn't packing.

As far as we know.

And hasn't that been yet another enlightened development in this latest season of indignation? It's become acceptable, somehow, to carry a firearm to the vicinity of a presidential event. To carry a gun, and to display it proudly. Just in case the angry chants and the angry signs aren't quite enough to get the message across.

What was once considered a threat, a provocation, an outrage -- now it's just another way of making a point. (Thanks for sharing.) And if a loaded gun is OK -- and there are people now who insist that it is, and still others who accept that it is -- well, what's wrong with a few loaded words? Even in the halls of Congress. Even in the middle of a presidential address.

Every time you think the currency of civic conversation simply can't be any further debased...

Rest assured, there's always someone ready to cheapen things a little more.

Congressman Joe Wilson apologized for his outburst. He didn't have much choice -- everyone, on both sides of the aisle, thought he'd gone over the line.

It'll be much easier the next time.

Rick Horowitz is a syndicated columnist. You can write to him at [e-mail].

Comments

[spmcintyre]

Did you people all just sleep thru the 8 years Bush was in office? Every lib was calling him every name in the book. I guess if Joe Wilson had called Obama a liar in an interview outside the Congress it would have been ok, cause it was ok when Harry Reid did it to Bush. I suppose as long as the President is not actually in the room, its ok to call him a liar.

[dawgspiel]

You do not do it during a speech by the President of the United States to a joint session of Congress. Period.

Holding up little signs. Booing. Jeering. Are there any adults left in the GOP?

[Matt7]

"Besides, once you've spent day after day among the constituents, hearing the president being called a Nazi, a commie, a socialist tool, a terrorist mole -- hey, after nonstop trash talk from the town-hallers and the tea-baggers and the cable cranks, calling Barack Obama a liar must have seemed almost quaint."

"Cute" line, Mr. Horowitz, but NO! It was NOT quaint.

Having a bunch of deliberately under informed, fearful and ignorant, deftly manipulated, elderly, and low information citizens, who have been whipped into a frenzy, act inappropriately is truly unfortunate, embarrassing, and a serious reminder of our national illness.

However, having a military trained, duly elected United States Congressman, blatantly disrespect the President of the United States of America by shouting out"You LIE" while he was in the midst of a nationally televised address to the Joint Session of Congress, was NOT quaint. It was totally unacceptable, and should be called out for the dangerous, nihilistic behavior that it is.

[SewaneeLeftist]

Excellent points, Mr. Horowitz. One of the logical fallacies I've had the assignment to teach has been the slippery slope fallacy, deeply beloved by gun nuts the world over. Unfortunately and very ironically we now ACTUALLY ARE on a slippery slope where, as you so cogently point out, the wingnuts have debased civic discourse so much that they even get away with bringing guns to political events. Terrifyingly, this escalation of hatred and irrationality has no end in sight. The escalation leads to nowhere good. Antigun, nonviolent people like me have to hope against hope that the escalation just stops or that sensible people, sensible law enforcers, or sensible laws bring it to an end. I've given up on the right trying to stop it because it would be the patriotic thing to do. I'm a diehard ACLU supporter, but guns have no part to play in First Amendment rights. And no supposed Second Amendment rights trump the right of citizens to have safe civic discourse without the presence of any guns.

[TomDegan]

Isn’t Joe Wilson an hoot and a half? It truly is an amusing thing to behold. The extreme right wing is having a collective, massive nervous breakdown. They just can’t come to terms with the nasty little fact that a black guy is the most powerful human being on the planet. It really is kind of funny – to a point.

Here’s what’s happening, boys and girls: The so-called “party of Lincoln” has been forever exposed as ideologically bankrupt and they are in the process of implementing their “scorched earth policy”. In other words, if they have to go down (and down they are going) they’re absolutely determined to bring the rest of the country down with them. That is what is happening - COUNT ON IT.

If you thought that the loony right wing had lost all the marbles they could possibly lose, oh brother! As Al Jolson used to say, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet”. Here's the part that's not so funny: There is violence down the road. Count on it.

Sound paranoid? Stay tuned.

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY

[Maggie Van Ostrand - Huffpost Blogger]

I agree with you, Rick. That, of course, means you're right.

However, there's hope for South Carolina.

http://bit.ly/3pueDO see comments.

[RenePA]

Hi Maggie,

Your link leads to a blank page.

[thespecialone]

Rick,
I utterly and completely agree with you. Maybe I just haven't lived long enough--or maybe I was snoozing--but I've NEVER in my life seen such blatant disrespect toward a U.S. President. Too, I've never seen so many American citizens accept it as business as usual and carry-on as if nothing is amiss. Where is the outcry? Really? How much more does Mr. Obama have to put up with? Personally, I'm angry with Obama for being such a pushover as well. He needs to get a little of Bush in him so that he can put these people in their place. I am so upset with Joe Wilson that I'm going to petition, donate, blog, etc., to HELP his opponent take his seat away when the time comes. Someone that can not respect the highest elected official in the our nation, doesn't to be an elected official. Joe needs to go back home and take a permanent "staycation".

[mamalisa38]

The level of venom, hatred and lies spewing from the mouths of the tea baggers and their leaders, Rush, Hannity, Beck and, most especially, the Republican Party, is deeply disturbing. These people have no morals, no compassion and, clearly, no souls. The really sad thing is that the majority of these people call themselves Christian's. I don't believe in God, but I have more caring and love in my heart than these people. If I'm wrong and there is a God, he will welcome me and reject these hypocrites.

[stardust835]

Interesting observations. I live in SC Dist 2 and decided not to attend the town hall meetings w/ Old Joe. From what I'd seen the town hall meeting have not been a place to discuss health care reform, they've been meetings for opposing anything put forward by the current administration (much of which I disagree with).

I'll let Old Joe know what I think of his actions & his "town halls" when I vote in 2010.

[tantrictim]

http://tiny.cc/mlu6B

The controversial congressman has been a member of Sons of Confederate Veterans. Max Blumenthal, author of the just-published Republican Gomorrah, asks: Did he remain so even after it became a hate group?