The scene on Capitol Hill Saturday afternoon was fit for the plot of a surreal and twisted comedy. With most congressional offices open for the weekend in advance of Sunday’s greatly anticipated final vote on health care legislation, staffers hunkered down to answer an endless stream of phone calls from constituents hoping to make their voices heard. Meanwhile, thousands of conservative “Tea Party” activists patrolled the corridors, chanting “kill the bill!” and paying visits to less-than-thrilled member offices that support the Democratic plan. Of course, I couldn’t pass up a chance to witness such theater, so there I was with pen and paper in hand, normally a Tuesday and Friday intern, recording the opinions of John and Jane Doe from Pleasantville, USA.
No one, including President Obama, can deny that these are polarizing times in Washington. Addressing health care on the national level was a goal of countless presidents throughout the 20th century. When the pending legislation did survive a climactic endgame on Sunday, Obama and the Democrats achieved a historic accomplishment. Republicans, on the other hand, urged their opponents to abstain from taking a vote they will regret. Senator Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., called the potential passage a “historic mistake” and House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, warned that the bill would “ruin” America.
With rhetoric from both sides escalating in recent weeks, it is no surprise that public unrest continues to boil unabated. People are angry, frustrated and upset because health care involves questions of choice and life. Some are appalled that Republicans offer no immediate solutions for the nation’s uninsured. Others sense the encroaching power of Democratic majorities able to pass monumental legislation over their unified foes.
Then there is the Tea Party Movement. They have been referred to as everything from fringe populists to Glen Beck enthusiasts. Something tells me ol’ Alfred Landon would have appreciated the movement’s support in the 1936 presidential election, when he was trounced by Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal wave. A reactionary product of the auto and bank bailouts, the group intensified their show of force during the health care debate and typically oppose expansion of the federal government.
Regardless, I’ve withheld my judgment to this point because I hadn’t encountered their ilk in person. Now I have. Like all other political entities out there, it’s a mixed bag. Sure, who doesn’t like a protest now and again? This is America, after all, and though I am not one for sign-making or incessant chanting, I fully support every citizen’s right to do so.
It should be known that the majority of these people I conversed with on Health Care Eve were courteous and reasonable. Most seemed genuinely committed to their cause to defeat the bill. However, I was deeply disturbed to read reports of racism and homophobia from the crowds gathered outside. According to the Washington Post, Congressional Black Caucus members “said that racial epithets were hurled at them” and gay Congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass., was greeted with anti-gay diatribes. Another African-American Democrat was apparently spit upon as he made his way to the Capitol for a vote.
Words that come to mind after hearing such stories range from repulsive to saddening. No Tea Party member acting in such a manner should ever be welcomed into the Republican Party. In fact, I implore all Republican leaders to denounce bigotry and extremism in hopes of separating the respectful opposition forces from those who cling to hate better suited for the American South circa 1960. This goes beyond calling Obama a communist or a non-citizen — it is at the root of our society’s ability to have a vigorous policy debate without devolving into a gross spectacle.
Michael Stubel is a junior in the School of Public Affairs and the School of Communication and a moderate Republican columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.