BrianGarst.com

By now it’s likely that everyone has heard of Representative Joe Wilson’s outburst during President Obama’s speech. For those who haven’t, he yelled “You lie!” in response to the president’s claim that his health care solution would not cover illegal immigrants. On the facts Wilson seems to have the high ground. According to the Congressional Research Service, “H.R. 3200 does not contain any restrictions on non-citizens participating in the Exchange.” Democrats have so far defeated every effort to change that. The White House is trying to dance around it by highlighting that their hypothetical request for an ideal bill would prohibit participation in the exchange by illegals. But the rest of us are trying to deal in reality where the actual bill, which Obama supports and will certainly sign if it reaches his desk, contradicts his desires.

A Time and Place

Whether his accusation was correct or not, Wilson’s behavior was inappropriate. He was right to quickly apologize. While I have no objection with appropriately labeling liars, even if they happen to be president, the middle of a speech being delivered to Congress is not the time to do it.

Sure, this sort of thing is common in British parliament during question hour. I have no objection to it in that context. As a philosophical conservative I value tradition and so find both the British and American traditions, vastly different as they are, as entirely acceptable expressions of the social and political evolutions of their respective societies. But this isn’t Britain, and our president is not the equivalent of their prime minister. The British prime minister is a member of parliament, while our president is not similarly a member of our legislature.

Fake Outrage

Despite my belief that Wilson erred, I don’t consider this story to be near as important as some are making it. He made a mistake and apologized almost immediately. The sensible thing to do is acknowledge it and move on, but Obama’s defenders have insisted on milking it for as much as they can. In fact, the response has eclipsed the original outburst in its newsworthiness. The president’s more dedicated supporters have revealed quite a bit in their overzealous reaction, which includes a demand that he apologize yet again, only this time in person.

What is it they are so upset about? Democrats heckled and booed Bush during his State of the Union in 2005. Wilson’s language pales in comparison to that frequently lobbed at President Bush during and after his tenure, including that from elected Democratic officials. To understand their response it is necessary to realize that this is not just about Joe Wilson.  This is about their need to discredit all opposition to President Obama’s agenda.

Unable to defeat or even address the opposition on the merits, the strategy over the last few months has been to denigrate, trash and marginalize any public display of opposition. Tea Party activists are referred to pervertedly as “Tea Baggers.” They also apparently only oppose the President because he is black.

Demonstrations are Nothing New

Democrats are apoplectic over the idea that the strategies of the radical left, which they have applied – often to much success – for decades, are now being more tamely applied by some on the right. Groups such as Code Pink, who routinely make disruptive outbursts at inappropriate times, are embraced by the same Democrats who decry modern Tea Party activism. But unlike the liberal protests of old, there is no violence, rioting and mass arrests at the Tea Parties.

It takes real chutzpah to claim that we are seeing a new era of incivility after witnessing decades of these aggressive tactics. But that’s the case Democrats have decided to make in the hopes of distracting from the substantive objections to their health care boondoggle. They don’t actually believe that Joe Wilson’s outburst is so terrible, but they desperately need you to believe it.

Barack Obama Joe Wilson