# Who heckled Obama during his address to Congress? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 10, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496 "2009-09-10T00:52:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/81 "2009-09-10T04:47:27Z")
You can’t criticize a president in a time of war! ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/82 "2009-09-10T04:49:22Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I would have preferred “You suck!,” but “You lie!” isn’t bad. He spoke “truth to power” and what’s wrong with that? For today’s Republicans, apparantly nothing. But for the all the Americans in the history of this country, it was unconscionable, disrespectful, and unpatriotic. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/83 "2009-09-10T04:49:27Z")
> [@](#): > > You can’t criticize a president in a time of war! Especially from another galaxy! ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/84 "2009-09-10T04:52:18Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I would have preferred “You suck!,” but “You lie!” isn’t bad. He spoke “truth to power” and what’s wrong with that? It wasn’t a lie stupid. So he didn’t speak truth to power, he spoke a lie to power. Get it retard? Good, now go play nice. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/85 "2009-09-10T04:53:42Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > You act like this is an isolated incident. Quite a few Republicans - from the grass roots to the top of the food chain, have been, quite frankly, nuts lately. On some level I think you recognize this. I’ve never in my life seen such over the top hatred directed at a political figure - and at one who deserves so little of it. You can argue about whether he deserved it, but Bush II got _a lot_ of hate. However, I don’t recall any Democrat in Congress behaving comparably disrespectfully when Bush addressed them. There were (and are) lots of insane-o nuts among the Democrats, but very few among the Democratic leaders and spokespeople followed along during the Bush II administration. Criticism was sometimes direct but consistently courteous for the most part among leading Democrat politicians. There are lots of insane-o nuts in the GOP, and too many GOP leaders and spokespeople seem to be pandering to them, fanning the flames with seditious, overheated rhetoric about “death panels,” “socialism,” and encouraging doubt about Obama’s Constitutional right to be elected President. Wilson’s disrespectful outburst is a product of the current, diseased culture in the GOP. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/86 "2009-09-10T04:55:23Z")
Kerry and Hillary and all the other moonbat libs told us that “dissent was the purest form of patriotism.” If calling the president a “liar” during a Congressional address isn’t dissension, than I just don’t know what to think. As far as I’m concerned, Joe Wilson has just become my new favorite patriot…aside from Tom Brady, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/87 "2009-09-10T04:55:32Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I would have preferred “You suck!,” but “You lie!” isn’t bad. He spoke “truth to power” and what’s wrong with that? Actually, Obama told the truth, and Wilson’s outburst, in addition to being disrespectful to the office of the President, was the lie. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/88 "2009-09-10T04:57:34Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > You can argue about whether he deserved it, but Bush II got _a lot_ of hate. However, I don’t recall any Democrat in Congress behaving comparably disrespectfully when Bush addressed them. > > There were (and are) lots of insane-o nuts among the Democrats, but very few among the Democratic leaders and spokespeople followed along during the Bush II administration. Criticism was sometimes direct but consistently courteous for the most part among leading Democrat politicians. > > There are lots of insane-o nuts in the GOP, and too many GOP leaders and spokespeople seem to be pandering to them, fanning the flames with seditious, overheated rhetoric about “death panels,” “socialism,” and encouraging doubt about Obama’s Constitutional right to be elected President. Wilson’s disrespectful outburst is a product of the current, diseased culture in the GOP. Bush did get some hate, but it wasn’t the “HE’S A SECRET MUSLIM THAT WAS BORN IN KENYA WHO WANTS TO MAKE US GAY MARRY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!” psychotic hate. Bush got hate for things he actually did. Post 9/11, every idiot was willing to give Bush a pass on anything. There was a “blindly trust the government” fervor with ridiculously high approval rates. It took massive effort by Bush to actually do things to stir up hatred towards him again. Obama hasn’t even had time to do anything yet, besides by an uppity ghetto type in the white house (this is the actual code language I’ve seen used), and yet the hatred is so over the top that I don’t even think Bush hatred holds a candle to it. And you’re right - it’s not just kooks on extremist blogs posting this shit - it’s people screaming “KILL HIM!” at public meetings and elected officials actually trying to stir this shit up and use it. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/89 "2009-09-10T04:57:35Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Kerry and Hillary and all the other moonbat libs told us that “dissent was the purest form of patriotism.” Are you actually quoting someone, or just “making stuff up?” > [@](#): > > If calling the president a “liar” during a Congressional address isn’t dissension, than I just don’t know what to think. As far as I’m concerned, Joe Wilson has just become my new favorite patriot…aside from Tom Brady, of course. You seriously cannot see what is and is not appropriate decorum during Presidential addresses to Congress? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/90 "2009-09-10T04:58:22Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I would have preferred “You suck!,” but “You lie!” isn’t bad. He spoke “truth to power” and what’s wrong with that? “Speaking truth to power” requires, first, that what you speak be true. **Bricker** , you are correct. Please amend my comments to: “The overwhelming majority of Republicans have no sense of decorum, fair play, or patriotism.” Examples proving this are easy to find. I pity the handful of decent conservatives like yourself who apparently thought they were attending a black-tie cocktail party and are surprised to find themselves in the middle of a drunken brawl. Though, frankly. I see your only honorable role at this time to be that of Joseph Welch. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/91 "2009-09-10T04:58:35Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Kerry and Hillary and all the other moonbat libs told us that “dissent was the purest form of patriotism.” If calling the president a “liar” during a Congressional address isn’t dissension, than I just don’t know what to think. As far as I’m concerned, Joe Wilson has just become my new favorite patriot…aside from Tom Brady, of course. So let’s assume that this is a valid criticism - is this consistent with what you’ve said in the past? I trust you haven’t criticized anyone for the act of showing disrespect to the office of the president no matter how brazen? ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/92 "2009-09-10T04:59:19Z")
[QUOTE=SenorBeef] besides by an uppity ghetto type in the white house (this is the actual code language I’ve seen used) [/QUOTE] That’s code? That’s not gonna win any awards for unbreakability. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/93 "2009-09-10T04:59:44Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Bush did get some hate, but it wasn’t the “HE’S A SECRET MUSLIM THAT WAS BORN IN KENYA WHO WANTS TO MAKE US GAY MARRY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!” psychotic hate. Bush got hate for things he actually did. Post 9/11, every idiot was willing to give Bush a pass on anything. There was a “blindly trust the government” fervor with ridiculously high approval rates. It took massive effort by Bush to actually do things to stir up hatred towards him again. There was a fringe of loony Dems with some seriously over-the-top nonsense, but in general I agree with you. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/94 "2009-09-10T04:59:53Z")
Those harvard law professor types - ghetto to the core. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/95 "2009-09-10T05:00:42Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Kerry and Hillary and all the other moonbat libs told us that “dissent was the purest form of patriotism.” If calling the president a “liar” during a Congressional address isn’t dissension, than I just don’t know what to think. As far as I’m concerned, Joe Wilson has just become my new favorite patriot…aside from Tom Brady, of course. Okay, you’re an asshole. And I’m a patriot for telling you so. Clear now? (It must be OK, you said so yourself.) ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/96 "2009-09-10T05:01:30Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > …I just don’t know what to think. That’s because you’re not very smart. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/97 "2009-09-10T05:01:48Z")
Obama couldn’t ask for better, with enemies like him, who needs friends? There he was, being all reasonable and non-partisan, and this guy draws an unCongresslike conduct foul! You can’t write a better script for Obama than that! Bless your nasty little heart, Joe Wilson, you done good for your country today! ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/98 "2009-09-10T05:03:02Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Kerry and Hillary and all the other moonbat libs told us that “dissent was the purest form of patriotism.” If calling the president a “liar” during a Congressional address isn’t dissension, than I just don’t know what to think. As far as I’m concerned, Joe Wilson has just become my new favorite patriot…aside from Tom Brady, of course. So are you arguing that the circumstances here were an appropriate time, venue, and method for expressing dissent? Do you think Kerry or Hillary would have advocated such while Bush was in office? Did anyone do so while Bush was in office? Do you think John McCain was wrong for demanding an apology from Wilson? ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/99 "2009-09-10T05:04:17Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Actually, Obama told the truth, and Wilson’s outburst, in addition to being disrespectful to the office of the President, was the lie. You really need to jack up the power to transmit your message across the galaxy. Of course, then you still have to get past the tin foil. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496/100 "2009-09-10T05:07:53Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > There was a fringe of loony Dems with some seriously over-the-top nonsense, but in general I agree with you. But relatively few of them were in Congress, or setting the party agenda on talk shows. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-heckled-obama-during-his-address-to-congress/509496.md?page=6)