Elevating the Debate: Pelosi and Hoyer Call Protests Un-American

I'm not sure who wrote this USA Today op-ed piece for Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, but by the end of the day expect them to clarify "their" statements, because this one is going to blow up in their faces. Just breathtaking arrogance and smug sanctimony wrapped in lies and deceit.

However, it is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue. These tactics have included hanging in effigy one Democratic member of Congress in Maryland and protesters holding a sign displaying a tombstone with the name of another congressman in Texas, where protesters also shouted "Just say no!" drowning out those who wanted to hold a substantive discussion.

These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades.
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This month, despite the disruptions, members of Congress will listen to their constituents back home and explain reform legislation. We are confident that our principles of affordable, quality health care will stand up to any and all critics.

Now — with Americans strongly supporting health insurance reform, with Congress reaching consensus on a plan, and with a president who ran and won on this specific promise of change — America is closer than ever to this century-deferred goal.

First of all, Americans are not in support of ramming this legislation down our throats and in fact a mere 25% agree with Pelosi's view that insurance companies are to blame for high costs. Pelosi and Hoyer may also want to clue themselves in to the fact their approval rating stands at a rock-bottom 14%, and this snide condescension sure won't help.

Furthermore, who is it that's waging an ugly campaign? It sure isn't the right.

Recall several weeks ago when Team Obama got their panties ina knot after Senator Jim DeMint called healthcare Obama's Waterloo.

Well today Pelosi and Hoyer will be "celebrating" their own Waterloo, and it's not going to be pretty.

Calling honest debate un-American is about as low as it gets. Democrats piss and moan when their patriotism is questioned, so they better be prepared for massive blowback for calling citizens un-American.

This will not stand.

Used to be dissent was the highest form of patriotism. Apparently not in Nancy Pelosi's America.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls the "Tea Party" protesters Nazis, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman --forgetting the events above -- claims that left-leaning groups never engaged in disruptive tactics against Social Security reform, and various other administration-supporting pundits are trying to spin the whole thing as a deadly move toward "mob rule" and – somewhat contradictorily -- as a phony "astroturf" movement.

Remember: When lefties do it, it's called "community organizing." When conservatives and libertarians do it, it's "astroturf."

But some people are noticing the truth. As Mickey Kaus notes, "If an 'astroturfing' campaign gets real people to show up at events stating their real views, isn't it ... community organizing?" Why yes, yes it is.

Jim Hoft, on the front lines in St. Louis, weighs in and a well-earned Fisking is at Founding Bloggers.

Stange, but just the other day Pelosi claimed she'd be carefully listening to the people. What happened, Nancy?

I guess these two out-of-touch Democrats have forgotten what one of their own had to say about the right to debate and disagree.