How Uncynical of You

Thoughts on the rhetoric of the smartest, least cynical, least partisan head of state in the history of the Republic, maybe even in the history of self-determination. From his speech to the AMA (emphasis mine):

Let me also say that -- let me also address a illegitimate concern that's being put forward by those who are claiming that a public option is somehow a Trojan horse for a single-payer system. I'll be honest; there are countries where a single-payer system works pretty well. But I believe -- and I've taken some flak from members of my own party for this belief -- that it's important for our reform efforts to build on our traditions here in the United States. So when you hear the naysayers claim that I'm trying to bring about government-run health care, know this: They're not telling the truth.

When elected officials speak in public they speak for the Government of the United States. They are perfectly free to ignore or disagree with critics all they want, but claiming oppositional views are illegitimate is actual squelching of dissent, which the left prattled on about from exactly 1/18/01 until noon, 1/20/09 (yes, W. did it all the time, too. When he did it the left went bat shit. Now, silence).

Moreover, he positions his as the honest view, and explicitly states the opposition is lying, i.e. saying something they know to be factually incorrect. Since PBO hasn't documented an actual health care plan how could criticism be factually wrong (in his defense, putting a plan in writing is pointless. It's not like Congress actually, you know, reads this stuff)? Critics are expressing an opinion, which by definition can't be a lie. What's more, the criticism is entirely valid. Government funded programs routinely expand beyond their original scope and intent. It's the politician's natural path: if a plan works, it should be larger. If a plan doesn't work, it's because it wasn't large enough.

So, in addition to Obama just being logically wrong, the critics he tries to delegitimize and accuses of lying have a perfectly valid justification for their views. Yeah, it's one paragraph in one speech. But hardly the work of post-partisan, non-cynic.