Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor in 2010, is calling on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer to apologize for a USA Today op-ed in which they cast aspersions on the patriotism of conservative protesters at recent town hall meetings on health care overhaul legislation.
"These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views -- but of the facts themselves," Pelosi and Hoyer wrote. "Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American."
Ramsey, who is lieutenant governor by virtue of his position as speaker of the state Senate, sent an e-mail to supporters Thursday asking them to sign a petition demanding an apology from the House's top Democrats.
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Comments
The Lt Gov should note how much damage is being done to the reputation of the USA abroad by the misrepresentation of the NHS. They are reminding the watching world of those things about the American Right which caused America's reputation in the world to fall in recent years.
Obama's election did so much to boost a positive international image of the USA - the lies and hysteria are undoing all that.
As a US loving Brit, I am both upset and angered - http://washminster.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-brits-are-angry-at-american.html
Posted by: JDavidMorgan
| August 14, 2009 7:09 AM
I do not share the opinion of JDavidMorgan. We have plenty of clout in the world, and have had for a long time. Other countries seem very willing to override their own criticism of the US when they need something.
I do not approve of yelling and screaming. There are several plans out there, amorphous at this stage of course. But it is our right as citizens to argue and discuss so that we get a final Health Bill which we can all at least benefit from a little here and a little there. If there were just a handful of protestors at the town meetings, I would be inclined to believe that it is a Republican set-up. But the numbers belie the media attempt to cast them all as dissastisfied, raucous right-wing folk.
The President needs to be more forceful and take the reins of this healthcare which has dissolved into a morass of complexities even the most intelligent person cannot understand.
It does absolutely no good to anyone for Rep. Hoyer and Rep. Pelosi to call these folks unpatriotic. That is a good way to lose constituencies.
President Obama will get his healthcare; I just hope that it is not so watered down that it will not help me or other Senior Citizens in our lifetime in any way.
President Obama has handled this badly from the beginning, and it is surprising that his advisors were not more helpful. Just mentioning Senior Citizens and death in the same sentence, is lethal: I think the President should know that by now.
Posted by: Clemmieo
| August 14, 2009 9:34 AM
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