House of Representatives vote on Wilson
I'm a democrat, a supporter of the president, and i believe that rep. wilson was totally out of line to holler "you lie" during the president's speech. The reasons such behavior is unacceptable have been discussed ad nauseum the past few days. And I agree with them. That being said, I want to separate myself from the folks who supported the House of representatives taking the time and effort to put a vote of rebuke on the table and take it to a vote. Wilson, whose behavior was not approved by anyone notable, had quickly and publicly apologized directly to the president. And what does the vote of reprimand achieve? By and large it gives people on both sides of the philosophical divide a reason to stay in their bunkers---and makes it less likely that bigger issues before the house will be resolved productively. The democrats, like a 'by the book' boss, had the right to take the action but in doing so give more weight to wilson and his outcry than he or it deserves. The vote changes nothing of substance and so risks seeming, even to people like me, that it was taken simply as a chance to poke the opposition in the eye. Petty. And pettiness is going to make it harder for other folks to point to reasons to cross the aisle on bigger issues. I am disappointed because I think it indicates leadership choosing to be 'right' rather than 'smart' in Congress. we need the opposite.
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