Wilson vs. Obama -- Who Spoke The Truth?

By Doug Patton

September 14, 2009

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - Jesus of Nazareth, John 8:32, KJV

"Congress shall make no law respecting..." Do those words sound familiar? They are, of course, familiar to any and all of us who have received even a cursory education in the founding documents of this nation. The Constitution of the United States of America is a document of enumerated rights and restrictions -- rights of the people and restrictions on government. It clearly spells out the rights of individuals, such as freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the right to keep and bear arms, etc.

It also clearly spells out, in no uncertain terms, the restrictions on the federal government, including the 10th Amendment, which states that any authority not expressly granted to the federal government is reserved to the states and to the people. Hence, the phrase "Congress shall make no law regarding..."

Barack Obama's health care "plan" does not exist anywhere outside his ideologically driven cranium and his vague, hopey-changey campaign rhetoric. The only "plan" on the table at the moment is a thousand-plus page monstrosity known as House Resolution 3200. Yet, in his latest address to a joint session of Congress, the president lied through his pearly whites -- again -- to the American people and their elected representatives when he said that the "plan" would not cover illegal aliens.

At which point U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-SC, called him on it in very direct language: "You lie!"

"That's not true," Obama shot back from the podium. Setting aside the decorum of the congressman's remark for a moment, let's examine which of them, Wilson or the president, told the truth.

The Founders understood clearly that government will always take as much authority as it is allowed to have, which explains the restrictive language of the Constitution. In HR3200, covering illegal aliens was not mentioned. Neither was abortion funding. Congressional Republicans rightly feared that if the bill's language remained neutral on those two issues, it could be assumed that they are permitted. So they proposed specific amendments to prohibit coverage of illegal aliens and funding for abortion. Democrats overwhelmingly voted both amendments down, thus showing us their true colors yet again.

After the speech, Rep. Wilson called the White House to apologize to the president, who has wisely accepted the apology, knowing that dragging the issue out will only serve to emphasize the veracity of Wilson's point that Obama was, in fact, lying.

No such wisdom resides in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who wants to pillory Wilson in front of his House colleagues. She is insisting that he apologize again, this time on the floor of the House of Representatives, a humiliating act of forced contrition with which Wilson is refusing to cooperate. Good for him.

There are times in history when the truth trumps decorum and tradition. Jesus of Nazareth was furious when He encountered liars and thieves cheating people who had simply come to worship and to offer a sacrifice to their Lord. "My Father's house is a house of prayer," he roared as he flipped over the tables of the money changers and drove them out of the temple. "You have turned it into a den of thieves!"

Similarly, Joe Wilson's righteous indignation rises up from the depths of his soul as he listens to his president commit one mendacity after another. Wilson loves the institution of the Congress, the body of the House of Representatives and the people he serves. He has watched as his constituents have been disrespected by their president and his supporters at town hall meetings throughout the summer recess.

Joe Wilson sits on one of the House committees dealing with this issue, so he knows the truth is not in Barack Obama as he speaks to the Congress that night. As he sits and listens to lie after lie from the president, Wilson's righteous anger rises up against the liars and thieves who are trying to cheat the American people out of their birthright to freedom.