In an op-ed piece published on August 10 in USA Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer write that "drowning out opposing views is simply un-American." In a speech delivered in Virginia on August 7, President Barack Obama said this: "I don’t want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess. I don’t mind cleaning up after them, but don’t do a lot of talking.”
So, if it is un-American to drown out opposing views, as Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer correctly maintain, then does it not follow that it is un-American for the nation's chief executive to falsely brand those who hold opposing views as "the folks who created this mess" while demanding that they remain largely silent? Is not the President trying to "drown out" opposing views, albeit passive aggressively?
(Originally posted on First Thoughts)
Comments (6)
Great post!
Let us also remember Hillary Clinton's 2003 quote on the topic:
http://allhands-ondeck.blogspot.com/2009/08/quote-of-day-hillary-clinton.html
Posted by Mr. H | August 11, 2009 1:21 PM
Apples and oranges. Pelosi is referring to the deliberate actions of a few to shut down public meetings. The target of the president's words, as near as I can tell, is the opposition in Congress and his reference is to the economy. Republicans like Boehner and McConnell oppose and obstruct (like the opposition is supposed to) and the president suggests that since they royally screwed things up when they were in charge, they might do well to sit down and shut up and let him have a shot. This is called the normal give and take of politics in a democracy. Note the president was campaigning. Someone who viewed the campaign antics of Sarah Palin with approval should cut Obama some slack:)
Posted by Al | August 11, 2009 3:34 PM
Al, Obama was not talking about opposition in Congress. He was talking about the protestors at the town hall meetings.
Posted by Paul Cella Jr | August 11, 2009 4:42 PM
Paul:
If you go to the White House website, the comments are not in the transcript. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-ar-fundraiser-for-State-Senator-Creigh-Deeds-8-6-09/
This means that Obama drifted off script. Rhetorically, it spookily reminded me of Jeremiah Wright and the sort of bizarre rants for which he is legendary.
Frank
Posted by Francis Beckwith | August 11, 2009 4:56 PM
"Al, Obama was not talking about opposition in Congress. He was talking about the protesters at the town hall meetings."
Paul, I was relying on this article from the Telegraph which was the best source with context that I could find, If you have a better one that supports your assertion let me know.
"Mr Obama acknowledged more work was needed on recovery efforts but struck back at Republican critics, reminding his audience he had inherited the economic crisis when he took office in January. It began under his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush."
"'I don't want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess,' he said to loud cheers."
"Many Republicans have accused Mr Obama of making economic matters worse by trying to spend the country out of recession."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/5986322/Barack-Obama-hails-beginning-of-the-end-of-US-recession.html
I went looking because there was no context that I could discern from the snippet Dr. Beckwith posted.
"This means that Obama drifted off script. Rhetorically, it spookily reminded me of Jeremiah Wright and the sort of bizarre rants for which he is legendary."
Or Harry Truman giving the Republicans hell back in the day.
Posted by Al | August 11, 2009 5:54 PM
What? You were maybe expecting intellectual consistency -- or, better yet, intellectual honesty -- from "liberals?"
Posted by Ilíon | August 11, 2009 10:26 PM