Civility made headlines across the land today for the boorish outburst by Representative Joe Wilson during President Obama’s Address to Congress last night. Responding to the statement by Mr. Obama that illegal immigrants would not receive health insurance under the President’s plan, Representative Wilson burst “You lie!” Not since Claude Rains went berserk in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington in 1939, has there been such drama before a joint session of Congress.
There is no excuse for poor manners. Ever. Manners are a universal language that allow us to show off all we know about self-respect. Much has been made on cable television about Wilson’s lack of respect for the President and for the setting, but they don’t get it. In disrupting a dignified venue such as a Presidental Address to Congress, Wilson showed no respect for himself.
Now the attention turns to the people who actually think what Wilson did was great. They’re lining up behind the guy and thanking him for saying in front of a national television audience of 21 million people what they had been saying to an audience the size of the water cooler or the dinner table. They’re buying freshly minted t-shirts that state “You Lie” on the front. This I think, is actually funny. Some clever entrepreneur seized the most famous two words of the month, perhaps the year, put them on a 99 cent shirt and took orders for 16.99. Admit it. You wish you’d thought of it first.
If Wilson knows what’s best for him, he’ll take this mandate, go home to South Carolina, and develop a “You Lie” business plan. If the owner of Doug’s Fish Fry can name a baloney sandwich after the First Family vacationing in his home town of Skaneateles, New York, Joe Wilson should be able to create an entire menu of sandwiches at the You Lie Deli. You Lie about Health Care, featuring steroid-fed beef and congealed gravy on a bed of freedom fries soaked in trans fats, You Lie about the Budget, a thin coating of peanut butter and store-brand jelly on two slabs of wonder bread for $16.99, and You Lie about Socialism, a free all-you-can-eat buffet until you get up to leave and then you are charged your entire paycheck. And that’s before the tip.
As quickly as supporters of Wilson’s democratic challenger raised $400,000.00 in the wake of “You Lie”, websites popped up to pay homage to the new phrase destined to take it’s place among the annals of famous political and funny phrases such as “read my lips, no new taxes”, “I did not have sex with that woman”, “I am the decider”, “it depends on what the definition of ‘is’ is”; only “You Lie” will be famous not for being spoken by a President, but by a heckler.
It’s comforting to know that Representative Wilson telephoned to apologize to the President after being told to do so by the Republican leadership. Now that’s contrition! Imagine if he’d said no. They could have pulled out the reliable old waterboard to get him to do it. Or Dick Cheney could have suggested they go hunting this weekend. Oops. Like the side of the face of a lawyer, you looked just like a deer.
Have any You Lie ideas that can make us some money? Any sandwiches I neglected to put on the menu? Now’s the time to send them in. If we don’t, someone else will, and I need the cash to buy a t-shirt.
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Dear Maureen: This has nothing to do with your current blog, but you might be interested to know that the office furniture of WTVH is being auctioned next week on Tuesday September 15. See Brzostek’s Auction Web Site for photos of stuff that is being sold.
Another good (and funny) one! Thanks.
I let another friend of mine know about your blog, and she seemed to get quite a kick out of it as well. She is also subject to the acquaintance having “angry meltdowns” that I mentioned last night.
After reading your one entry, she laughingly made a fictionalized checklist belonging to Obama, saying, “I can see it now”:
Children’s minds poisoned – check
Pull plug on Grandma – in process
Convert to Islam – harder than I thought
Hilarious, no?
By the way, I was in the Philadelphia region a week or so ago, and saw an advertisement featuring Kathy Orr. Of course, your recent mention of her here came to mind.
Have a wonderful day. And let us not forget 9-11.
Good Morning Maureen;
Perhaps Mark Twain said it best, “There are lies, damned lies and statistics.”
Watching our President speak the other night I wonder what Senator Joe Wilson did was not staged. While there has been civility in the chambers, there have also been Presidents who have been booed.
Calling our President a liar on national tv then quickly apologizing then distanting himself from his own statement reminds me of what a professor once said to me, “think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.”
Have a wonderful weekend, and when that tee shirt does come out, I will buy you one
Bill
Ha. Bill, that is funny. I’d like to give Rep. Wilson points for manipulating the media at the moment he shouted, but don’t think he has the sophistication. I do give him high marks for passion though. M.
Cathy, thanks again. I love your friend’s checklist! Thanks for sharing. Philly is a great city, isn’t it? Kathy Orr did very well. Have a nice weekend too. Maureen
Hi Mike, thanks for the notification. That will be a trip down memory lane for sure. I wish them all the best with a successful sale. Maureen
Hi Maureen-
This could easily apply to this post and to “Filling a Vacuum.”
There should be an “emotional” component we attach to our leaders, especially our Presidents. An effective leader will stir and elicit emotion, for better or worse. The Kennedys sure did, and the Clintons and Bushs still do. And now it’s Obama’s turn.
But when it comes time to vote, we should be more objective than emotional. Unfortunately, in our country today, there seems to be a great disconnect between emotion and reality.
Come next election, I will judge our good President on only a small portion of an enormous list of issues that confront us all. I believe most people will do likewise, in spite of all the “hype,” for lack of a better term.
Is my 401k headed north? Are our country and its people kept safe from “terrorism?” Is my medical insurance as good as or better than what I now enjoy? Is the educational system for our children reflective of the ideals and values that will keep this country alive into the distant future?
In the meantime, there’s not a lot of time for President Obama to facilitate meaningful progress in any area. If I had one wish, it would be that the persons who hold our destiny in their hands would only talk TO each other instead of AT each other.
Don
Don, so well put. Talking with each other instead of to each other. As always, thank you for your loyalty and for your great commentary. Maureen