The Trouble with Joe

Yea, yea. We’re all about sick to death of hearing about Joe “you lie” Wilson’s outburst during the President’s speech to the joint session of Congress the other night. Humor me, though. I have a different viewpoint on this.

I have no problem with Joe Wilson disagreeing with our President (whether you like him or hate, him he is OUR President, just as George W. Bush was OUR President): our Founders wisely set up a system of government that allowed for healthy debate and disagreement. What I have a problem with is Congressman Wilson’s lack of leadership. Yep, leadership.

Help me here. As far as I know, we still have a representative democracy – I don’t think that’s changed during my many years on this earth. And as far as I know, that still means we the people elect other people to represent us the people in Washington. We elect 100 Senators, 435 Representatives, and one President. (We don’t really elect the Veep; that choice was left to the candidtate). So…in Congress, we have 535 people to do the business for ALLLLLLLLL of us other folks here in our great country. Well I don’t know about you, but (a) I expect every one of these elected people to do the job we’re paying them to do, and (b) by golly I expect them to LEAD.

Now…. Leaders are, by default, role models. And therein lies the problem with Joe. What is he teaching the young ones? That it’s perfectly OK to disrespect the President in front of a nationwide television audience, that’s what. And what is he teaching the rest of the world? That we don’t give a rat’s ass about any sense of decency toward the leaders of this country, that’s what. So I ask you…can this be good? Of course not.

Let’s agree that two wrongs don’t make a right (so we can eliminate the “well so-and-so did such-and-such” argument) and agree that both sides of this mess we call a governing body have done their fair share of being complete jerks. I want to put that behind us and ask our elected leaders to do some leading.

I do NOT want Senators and Representatives that play to their base. They should be smart enough to know that the base will not get them re-elected, and the base will not leave for the other party, either. I want Senators and Representatives that want to do what is best for ALL the people of this great country. So here’s what I want ALL of us to say to our elected officials:

You are NEVER going to make everyone happy, so quit playing to the lowest of the low. Yea, I may not get everything I want in health care reform, but shouldn’t there at least be SOME reform? Everything the Dems do can’t be right/wrong, everything the Reps do also can’t be right/wrong. So how come all you “guys” up there on The Hill have to vote along party lines all the time? Why is it so cool to side only with your party and treat anyone stepping outside the box as an outcast? What the hell kind of leadership is this? And why the hell aren’t you speaking out against the left- and right-wing nutjobs out there? Why aren’t you demanding that people within x-distance of the President do NOT carry weapons? Why aren’t you insisting to the birthers that the President is indeed a native-born citizen? Lead, damn it! Barney Frank seems to be the only one amongst you with gonads! Talk back to the morons and work to LIFT the level of intelligent debate, not toss it down to it’s lowest level. For when you allow the nutjobs to run the place, you end up making ALL of us have egg on our face when the world sees Joe Wilson disrespect our elected President.

And THAT, my friends, is the trouble with Joe.