Posted by Bruce Bourgoine who blogs at
Kennebec Blues
We finally found out who was really responsible for Representative Wilson calling out "You Lie", at President Obama.
Was it latent racism? Was it an overexcited passion reaction? Was it premeditated decorum disruption? Was it tonal transfer from town hall meetings? Was it tea bag drunkenness? Was it confederacy subconscious channeling?
No.
It was, as we can deduce from an editorial in the 9/20/09 Manchester Union Leader, Barack Obama’s fault.
The President has struck a more civil tone. He says nice things about Republicans most of the time, and he refuses to let fly the insults that his Georgian predecessor and many of his allies think appropriate. But there is more to civility than polite discourse.
The President's transgression of decorum has come in deed, not word. He spoke sweetly to Republicans while excluding them from negotiations, ignoring their proposals, dismissing their criticism and portraying them as special-interest stooges. On every major piece of legislation since he took office, Republicans have been treated as children -- people to be seen and not heard. No major bill has included any significant compromise. There is no excuse for some of the rudeness displayed this year -- on either side. Newton's law, however, applies. Incivility breeds incivility. When the people with power attempt to enact their agenda without even allowing the minority to participate, what reaction do they expect?
"Contrariwise, if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic." - Lewis Carroll