My first reaction last night was to agreed with Barney Frank who dismissed Joe Wilson as someone who was frustrated, knowing he was beat. I can also relate to the general view expressed all over the comments sections here that we shouldn't give the punk more coverage than he deserves, and that we shouldn't allow him to be a distraction. Moreover, he's getting his "censure" through the pounding he's receiving in the press and the campaign donations flowing to his opponents.
But, after further reflection, I think there are a number of reasons we should press for Joe Wilson's formal censure:
- Rather than a distraction, it could serve to unite Dems around the President. Especially the blue dogs, many of whom come from the South where it is still considered quite important to defend one's honor (my family goes back many generations in South Carolina and, whenever I visit, I'm reminded how much that code of honor still holds).
- It would force the hand of the Republicans who speak of being conservatives who feel the honor of our institutions should be respected. Any who didn't vote for censure would be shown as hollow.
- It would show the Dems as not being spineless for once -- for fighting back.
- It would serve as a surrogate for condemning the level of discourse on this topic in general. If we let this slide, it'll only keep growing worse. We can use this as an opportunity to shame Americans who only want to shout down rather than engage in intelligent discussion of the topics.
- It would serve as an avenue for highlighting the lies the Republicans have been spreading. We'd goose up the fact check machine.
Generally speaking, this would provide an opportunity for the Dems to go back on the offensive, while getting out of the weeds of the particulars of the bill. To press the issue that this is a moral concern and those who fight it are reactionary idiots. The Dems can continue to work out the details of the plan, but a moment like this can serve to get the emotional tide of this movement back on our side. That is, after all, what Obama did best last night -- make this a moral cause. I didn't like all the particulars of the speech, but it got me fired up. Let's use this dipshit Wilson as a punching bag, as long as he holds out, to keep the winds at our back.