Over the weekend, Democrat congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer wrote of the recent protests taking place in town hall meetings around the country, “These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American.” 

The White House is concerned that their health care plan is not being accurately characterized.  They have even encouraged Americans who read or hear their friends and neighbors saying anything “fishy” to report them to flag@whitehouse.gov.

Democrats’ concerns about allowing all viewpoints to be heard accurately would be a lot more credible if they had not been silent when those on the right were being silenced and demagogued.  In many cases leading Democrats were not silent, but actively participated in the demagoguery, spreading misinformation far and wide with the assistance of their friends in the media.

 There have been many such examples over the past few decades.  Remember Democrats’ claims that Republicans wanted to starve old people and school children? You know, back when they used to tell Americans on a regular basis that an increase in spending was really a cut if it was not as big an increase as Democrats wanted? 

Remember when Democrats said Newt Gingrich wanted to let Medicare “wither on the vine” when he actually said “…we believe that it's going to wither on the vine because we think [seniors] are going to leave it voluntarily.”

Remember all the accusations of “blood for oil” during the debate over the war in Iraq? And that “Bush lied,” when he said he believed Saddam Hussein possessed WMD, even though every leading Democrat politician had claimed the same thing?

I believe we should be debating the health care issue based on facts, not rumors or mischaracterizations, but to have, of all people in this world, Nancy Pelosi preaching it is beyond ridiculous.

It is equally ridiculous to hear those on the angry left discredit and ridicule those American citizens -- Republicans, Libertarians and independent-minded Democrats – who have legitimate concerns over the inaccurately named stimulus plan, bailouts and the attempt to put the American health care system under government control .   Many in the media have joined in, labeling these concerned citizens as “angry mobs,” or, if reporting from MSNBC, as “tea baggers.”

Prompted by the “un-American” comment in Pelosi and Hoyer’s USA Today piece, Jon Henke points to the difference in attitude when the anger was coming from those on the left.  He quotes Glenn Greenwald: “Anger, when constructively directed, is a potent and inspiring passion. It is noble to be angry about dangerous situations and corrupt leaders, and there are few passions which can compete with anger for inspiring oneself and others to meaningful action.” 

I guess anger is a good thing, if in the right hands.  (Or, should I say, the left hands?)

It is hard to listen to Democrats squeal with indignation about their freedom of speech being stifled when they control the White House and the Congress, and when in the past, their supporters are the ones who did so much to crush conservative dissent . Continued...