[media id=9355] (h/t David at Video Cafe) Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the latest in GOP talking points trying to take the conversation off what
August 9, 2009

(h/t David at Video Cafe)

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the latest in GOP talking points trying to take the conversation off what health care reform really means to Americans:

MCCONNELL: Well, look. I think attacking citizens in our country for expressing their opinions about an issue of this magnitude may indicate some weakness in their position on the merits.

That makes sense. If you are troubled by being likened to Nazis, being shouted down and mobbed by people bussed in to be disruptive or having you or your staffers threatened, then it's your position that's weak.

Really? Um, how about if you're so scared of honest facts (as opposed to scare tactics about euthanasia) that you need to shut down discussion, maybe it's your position that's weak? Of course, there was no discussion of weakness of merits when Bush required loyalty oaths during his Social Security-palooza tour. Consistency, the GOP rarely knows ye.

And let it not go unmentioned that Wallace focuses solely on the Democrats calling these mobs "Nazi-like" without acknowledging the full blown mob materials in all its Godwin-esque glory (link goes to LGF). What was that about the liberal media again?

Transcripts below the fold:

WALLACE: OK. Let’s talk -- you brought up the town halls. As we all know, Democratic members of Congress have gone back to their districts. They’re meeting with their constituents, and there have been some very loud and angry town halls.

Democrats say -- some of these have been quite loud and quite angry, the complaints about the plan. Democrats say that conservative organizers are employing mob-style tactics and even Nazi-style tactics. Your reaction, sir?

MCCONNELL: Well, look. I think attacking citizens in our country for expressing their opinions about an issue of this magnitude may indicate some weakness in their position on the merits.

And I also think it’s particularly absurd for the Democrats, who have over an $8 million e-mail list over at the DNC called Organize America, to be criticizing citizens for being organized.

Frankly, the truth of the matter is we don’t know who’s organized and who isn’t. The point is the issue, the substance. They need to deal with it. Americans are concerned about it.

I suspect that a lot of these people, Chris, who are coming to these meetings are elderly people who are concerned about half-a- trillion-dollar cut in Medicare to pay -- not to make Medicare sustainable, but to start a new program for other citizens.

WALLACE: Let me show you -- and let’s put up on the screen -- some of these town hall meetings, because they’ve been pretty impassioned.

Have -- from what you’ve seen -- and you haven’t had any yet, but you -- you’ve certainly watched them on TV. Have some of the protesters gone over the line? And when you read that some organizers give people instructions -- pack the hall, stand up and shout, rattle the members of Congress. Should they back off?

MCCONNELL: Look, I don’t think either side ought to be trying to engage in disrupting meetings, either the Democratic side or the Republican side. We ought to focus on the issue.

And to demonize citizens who are -- you know, who are energetic about this strikes me as demonstrating a kind of weakness in your position -- in other words, you want to -- you want to change the subject, and rather than talk about the half a trillion dollar in Medicare cuts, let’s talk about somebody at some town meeting who misbehaved. It strikes me that’s missing the point.

WALLACE: Well, I’m going to ask you one more question on that subject. What do you think of the White House asking its supporters to forward any e-mails or any claims they get that they think are, quote, “fishy” to the White House?

MCCONNELL: Well, it strikes me as the potential compilation of a -- of a list of people that you don’t like. It’s reminiscent of previous administrations.

I think -- look. We need to stop all of this effort and concentrate on the substance. This is an enormously important subject. Of course American citizens are concerned about it. And many of them are upset about it.

It’s not just the town hall meetings, Chris. All the public polls indicate that support for what the administration is trying to do on health care is declining.

Can you help us out?

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