The Irony of Public Meetings and democratic discourse

I think it's very ironic that the Obama administration and its allies have scheduled Town Hall meetings across the country to try to get commentary on the health care debate and find that the meetings are being disrupted, whether in an organized way or not makes no difference. The irony? When the Bush administration scheduled "public" meetings, there was substantial evidence that loyalty tests at the door were standard. There was no 'democratic discourse' desired nor allowed. The meetings were as void of legitimacy as a town hall meeting in Irkutsk during Stalin's reign---looks good on the surface, but everyone in the room is a loyal Party member.

So now we have a new, more open approach to things. And those who couldn't abide having open meetings with diverse opinions themselves still can't. They are doing their best, not to mobilize people who agree with them to express their opinions, but to mobilize those who agree with them to disrupt the discussion. Because dialogue based on facts is their enemy.

And it is a great tribute to the Obama leadership and to their allies that they have not put thugs at the door to make sure that only those who tilt their way will be present in the room. And I think, over time, that the complete lack of civility of the opposition will be clear to anyone watching. And will be discredited.