“Stay in school, kids” is the latest postscript to the Communist Manifesto, if you are to believe the GOP uproar to the president’s address to the nation’s students yesterday. But in tonight’s address to the nation on health care, the fringe right made another appearance in the form of not just Joe “You Lie!” Wilson, but in many outbursts from various Republican congressmen:
Throughout the speech, Republican members of Congress repeatedly held up stacks of papers that appeared to represent ideas they had for the bill.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) held signs that read “What Bill?” and “What Plan?”
When Obama told the chamber that the “death panel” lie was, in fact, a lie, a Republican member said loudly enough to be heard in the press gallery, “Read the bill” — a common refrain at August’s angry town hall meetings.
When Obama told the chamber that he had “no interest in putting insurance companies out of business,” a Republican member responded with a loud, “Ha!”
Say what you will about members of Code Pink who interrupted speeches by President Bush over the years, but never did we see Democratic members of Congress pollute the discourse like this. Even I, an admitted cynic, did not expect to see this.
