True leadership will not be measured by the ability to muzzle dissent

In his remarks before the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, 2009, President Barrak Obama said, “True leadership will not be measured by the ability to muzzle dissent, or to intimidate and harass political opponents at home.” He also said, “We know the future will be forged by deeds and not simply words.” [1]

I call on President Obama to live up to his own words.  Members of Democratic party and the current administration have in fact been taking very concrete steps to muzzle the voice of dissent to its domestic policies.

On Monday, in response to an opposition mailing from Humana mailing to their Medicare Advantage subscribers, the Health and Human Services agency issued a directive to all Medicare Advantage providers ordering them to “immediately discontinue all such mailings” and to remove all such material from their internet sites. [2] This action reversed the 1997 position of HHS when it acknowledged the Center for Health Plans and Provides letter addressing the right of an insurance company to inform their subscribers of their view of pending legislation.  In that letter, CHPP director Bruce Fried wrote, “While it may be difficult for a reviewer to ascertain whether or not the information about legislation, for example contained in a member’s newsletter issued by an HMO, is accurate and without a slant or unrevealed self-interest, we believe that prohibiting such information would violate basic freedom of speech and other constitutional rights of the Medicare beneficiary as a citizen.” [2]

The Democratic National Committee, along with Congressional leadership and leading members of the Democratic party, have participated in an escalating effort to marginalize and silence the citizen opposition to your domestic and economic policies first by calling participants of town-hall meetings and Tea Party protests an “unruly mob” [3], then making accusations of Nazi [4] and KKK affiliation [5], implied threats of violence [6], and now directly linking opposition views to racism.

There is notable silence from the White House as media commentators like Chris Mathews of CNN imply that those opposed to this administration’s domestic policies are inciting violence against the President and warning of violent revenge if this occurs.

In the President’s address to the United Nations told member nations that change would not happen with just words and speeches and that change had to start at home.  I call on the President to show some leadership and to backup his words to the United Nations by taking these concrete actions:

1. Reverse the HHS directive to insurance companies imposed on Monday.
2. Publicly rebuke members of the Democaratic Party leadership who have openly called American citizens who oppose this administration’s position on policy matter racists and Nazis and accused them of inciting violent action.
3. Live up to the promise of transparency by asking the Senate to reconsider their decision to reject Sen. Jim Bunning’s amendment that would require both the legislation and the Congressional Budget Office report posted and available for review 72 hours prior to a vote. [10]
4. Publicly rebuke Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for threatening to circumvent the very foundation of our legislative system by manipulating senate rules to force passage of major, sweeping legislation using rules meant to reconcile fiscal bills that need reconciliation between chambers of the legislative branch.

Both the nation and the world are watching Mr. President.

Footnotes:

[1] The New York Times: Obama’s Speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 23^rd, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/us/politics/24prexy.text.html

[2] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/24/clinton-administration-guidance-proves-humana-acted-properly-republicans-say/

[3] NewsBusters: Tapper: ‘DNC Suggests Town Hall Protesters are Fringe Birther Mob’ by Noel Sheppard, August 5^th, 2009 http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/08/05/tapper-dnc-suggests-town-hall-protestors-are-fringe-birther-mob

[4] NewsMax: Media Ignore Pelosi Nazi Comparison, August 7, 2009 http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/pelosi_limbaush_swastikas/2009/08/07/245316.html

[5] Examiner: Dingell says town hall protesters remind him of KKK, by Heather Hogue, August 11, 2009 http://www.examiner.com/x-4124-Phoenix-Republican-Examiner~y2009m8d11-Dingell-says-town-hall-protesters-remind-him-of-the-KKK

[6] Fox News: Pelosi: Health Reform Rhetoric Reminiscent of violence in ‘70s, Sept. 18, 2009 http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2009/09/18/pelosi-health-reform-rhetoric-reminiscent-violence-s/

[7] The Heritage Foundation Foundry:  Obamacare: Day One Finance Committee Ammendments, Sept. 24^th, 2009 – http://blog.heritage.org/2009/09/24/obamacare-day-one-finance-committee-amendments/