I watched President Obama’s speech on health care last night. It made me feel more sanguine about the possible outcome. It was a powerful speech that will reunite Obama's troops. Also I heard the outburst of sixty-two year old Republican, SC representative, Joe Wilson, from West Columbia, South Carolina who yelled out an unprecedented ”You Lie!” for all to hear, when the President stated that the health bill would not provide care for illegal aliens. The incident was an embarrassment for the Nation, the Republicans..and an unpleasant reminder of the August silliness at town hall meetings which apparently some Republicans have not let go of—as yet.
I guess Joe Wilson is not concerned about the fact that “illegals” in SC, whom he would deny any health care coverage, might carry infectious diseases such as swine flu, malaria, TB, and HIV that could conceivably be transmitted to his family or his constituents…or the fact that North Carolina hospitals who treat the ill and indigent..as a public health measure…will still have to pick up the tab. The result of which is that the rest of the South Carolina public’s outlay is a considerably higher (so as to account for these –in the end--necessary and expensive services). Of course, Joe Wilson and his family have the cushy health benefits provided by the US Congress for legislators and staff..which all the rest of us American citizens pay for. Yes, Joe is the recipient of the largess of the American public—a public which he would deny having some of the same benefits he and his family enjoy.
Pictures released of this Republican stalwart http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/10/obama.heckled.speech/ indicate that he is in good health. He looked well cared for, well-tanned and very well groomed the night of the joint session. I hope he doesn’t have any sick “wetbacks” spreading germs as they work on his local golf course, clean his country-club’s kitchen, or cut his expansive home lawn. Good luck Joe!
Joe’s career was marred earlier by a similar outburst when, during a debate on the Iraq War, he attacked a colleague Congressman Bob Filmer as “viscerally anti-American” and stated the Congressman had a “hatred of America” when Filmer (truthfully) claimed that the US had supplied Saddam Hussein’s Iraq with chemical weapons. Wilson could not dissuaded by the fact that Filmer’s claims were factual and fully verified.
The result of this last outburst will be that Joe Wilson’s career—what is left of it--will be asterisked forever as the typical white southern, protestant, politician who so ferociously and mindlessly resisted health care reform–that he actually called the President of the USA a “liar”—to his face with the entire Nation looking on during one the most formal and august of settings…a joint meeting of the House and Senate.
Joe Wilson will be the “Obama Heckler” for the remainder of his life.
Immediately after the speech, Joe Wilson left the House, in a hurry and unaccompanied, while back down in South Carolina, Rob Miller, Wilson’s Democratic rival for his seat had a fundraising windfall.
Good Luck Joe-- on your next election…what is it now…a bit more than a twelve-month away?
Get the picture?
rjk
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