Ma'am;...At least one former president who has never lied to us in office or out has had the courage to call the resistence to Mr. Obama by its true name: Racism...And; as if the problem could be worse than racism, it is far worse... The forms of long standing, our one nation, our economy, our government, and our civility in a common cause are all failing... It is not fun to see couples break up, to squabble, back bite, and sabotage each other, but no less than in our case, the form of their relationship is failing, and no one should expect forms to fail with grace...Before the Civil War, a Senator was caned in the halls of congress for comparing slavery to sexual perversion of which it had an element, but the truth is hard to accept for all of us....We have reached the point in this land where half the people are trying to drag the other half into the future while that half is trying to drag them into the past...In this tuggawar, that group which realizes first that it can just let go, and set up house keeping on its own has an edge...We should all let go... There is no demand in our constitution that all the people be served by government, or that all must consent, or seek consensus...For this reason, division and dissent has been fed to the bursting point... The great wealth of this land has been put in private hands because of our division...For a few more years of extreme profits on the pain of this nation the health cartel divides us once more... What do these dividers think will be the ultimate gain out of our division???. It is more easy to accept the honest hatred of the racist than the contempt of demagogues who stir up hatred for gain... Black people cannot go anywhere no matter how well they are hated, but clearly, there are many people who put themselves out side of the bounds of society by their actions... We cannot exclude the profit takers, or the racists more than they have excluded themselves... Forget dragging the fools into the future...Be contented with dragging them into humanity...The marble halls, and limestone edifices of government are symbols of a Form, and forms need their rituals and signs and oaths to give substance to what is never more substancial than the relationship within -built ultimately upon trust and honor... We could have a good relationship in this country, but our forms are rotton to the core, and they are making enemies of us to each other... We need a new form of government, and new forms accross the board...The first step is an agreeable separation..I cannot believe the right desires this more than the left, but all fear its ultimate consequences, which as in Lincoln's day means war, invasion, and conquest...Now, the South has the upper hand... ..Thanks...Sweeney

Susan, Now you have reached a new time low as the democrats have. The Obama administration and news media is making this racial thinking it will scare the protesters. This is not about race but policy and the democrats are showing the have no substance when the race card is used. President Obama is our President who is pushing socialistic ideas down our throats and we have coughed it back up at him. It is not because he is black but I do not want socialism in my life. If there is a riot or if anything happens to President Obama the blood is on the news media and democrats hands for how they handled the situation for they are putting race and division in the minds of people and there are some out there who are mentally ill who might read it the wrong way. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU. Instead of having a healthy debate which the democrats prove they can not they throw the race card. How can you continue to support his behavior. Write an article about why I should support the President's policies for I read and maybe you can bring to light things I did not think about!!!. MAKE A CASE INSTEAD OF DIVISION FOR THIS I CHALLENGE YOU.

Susan, I seem to remember when a whole group of democrats boooed President Bush when he gave the state of the union speech. Once again the LEFT is playing the race card and that includes Carter who would do us all a favor if he would just keep his mouth shut for once. I agree with Kathaleen; these demonstrations and tea parties are about the deficit, debt, and Obama spending us into oblivion. Many of these people are old and worried about their Medicare for which they have paid for many years. People like Maureen Dowd and the liberal press don't do Obama any favors by playing the race card. We all know that Wilson was dead wrong. He said so himself, apologized and thhe president accepted his apology. Fox News isn't always right, but they at least give us both sides.

Just heard the quotes on Fox & Friends of the name calling (including liar) of the Democrats in the Well against President Bush. Please change your statement in your article that the Democrats never did that. Thank you.

It certainly is sad that when the lberals find they are losing the battle, they throw out the race card against Joe Wilson. I didn't hear the race card and Maureen Dowd only heard the voice in her head speaking. It seems that only a few radicals did and they wanted to stir thrings up. I think this does a disservice to the real cases of racism in the country. Its like the little boy who cried wolf. I say shame on Maureen Dowd and shame on Joe Wilson. At least Joe Wilson admitted his mistake and apologized. Maybe Maureen should shake her fortuneteller globe head and spit out an apology too.

Oh stop with the histrionics and vain attempt to generate more hate of conservatives by those on the left. You soulless Liberals, with all your race bating and lying, already hate conservatives. Once a person or group of people give into hate, how much you hate really does not matter. So your whining and threats fall on deaf ears, Susan. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As for Joe Wilson, the problem you Liberals are going to experience in trying to take Joe down for calling Obama a liar is that Obama is a liar. Once more, every knowledgeable American knows it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Obama and congressional supporters claim the health care plan will cost about $50 billion a year. Such an estimate is so wrong it is a LIE, pure and simple. And whom ever presents such a figure (e.g. Obama) is a LIAR. And such is just one of numbers LIES from OBAMA, the LYING KING ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But to be fair, Obama is just one brick in the great American Wall of LIARS. Consider Social Security. A 1936 government pamphlet on Social Security said: "After the first 3 years -- that is to say, beginning in 1940 -- you will pay, and your employer will pay, 1.5 cents for each dollar you earn, up to $3,000 a year ... beginning in 1943, you will pay 2 cents, and so will your employer, for every dollar you earn for the next 3 years. ... And finally, beginning in 1949, twelve years from now, you and your employer will each pay 3 cents on each dollar you earn, up to $3,000 a year." Here's Congress's lying promise: "That is the most you will ever pay." Let's repeat that last sentence: "That is the most you will ever pay." Compare that to today's reality, including Medicare, which is 7.65 cents on each dollar that you earn up to nearly $107,000, which comes to $8,185. [source Walter Williams] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So you Liberals have had enough, hey, and you are angry and we Conservatives had better watch out. Well have at it baby. You Liberals are angry and want to start an unCivil war, go ahead and fire the first shot. This is one conservative that is ready to rumble.

Susan I respect your opinons and hope you respect mine. This being stated I am tired of hearing racist everytime anyone says something against the policies of Obama. This is all I hear from the liberal press. He has run a platform of favoring the unions in his Stimulus, his Cap & Trade and now in the Healthcare Bill, he has stated worse as he called Sarah Palin a liar in his speach to the Joint House and she is now a private citizen, he has insulted all Republicans as he keeps saying he wants to be bipartisan - but refuses to meet with any Republican. He has set his own agenda and it is exploding around him as even the Democrat Party does not fully support his agenda. So let clear heads prevail - there is no racism in calling out a flawed program. However, it became very clear that Joe Wilson did not lie in his outbrust as the Democrats went into conference and fixed the bill. So who actually was lying about the bill? If Democrats had to fix the bill then it is quite oblivious to anyone that the bill was different than what Obama was saying. Joe was rude and that was it, but, then Democrats have been rude to Republican Presidents according to C-Span history tapes.
Remember I am Independent and certainly do not favor either party - just the facts and truth.

Waah, waah, waah! Susan, you've really jumped the shark on this one. The simple response to your classic whine is two words: eight years. For eight years, the left constantly ridiculed, berated, insulted, demeaned, and trashed George Bush. Did you hear any of us on the right (many of whom disagreed with GWB's domestic policies, BTW) saying "it's because he's white"? C'mon. Our mobilization is the result of his statist policies. To the extent that it is personal, it is due not to his race, but to his arrogance and the fawning media. If it were race-based, then how would you explain the fact that our "hatred" of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid is significantly more intense than our feelings towards Obama. Last I checked, both of them are white (though I'm not sure about Pelosi, her original skin is long gone in a dumpster somewhere :).
So drop your bogus outrage. Just because some of the liberal friends I'm sure you hang out with hate Fox News and want to boycott some allergy medicine doesn't mean there is some massive anti-conservative movement growing out there. All empirical evidence is to the contrary. And for every person who boycotts a FNC advertiser, there are 100 who would buy more of those products. So go back to watching MSNBC and make a point to buy from the advertisers there. They obviously need the help so they can afford to advertise on FNC that has actual viewers.

Susan,
Today I lost respect for you when I read the title I thought maybe you would be calling for an end to rae bating and devisive distractions from the real issues here but instead of honestly admitting that conservative have real problems with the health care bills being proposed you went so far as to imply a sitting Congressmen other then Robert (KKK HEADMAsTER) BYRD was the leader of the resistance.

This was an probably the worst article I have ever seen you write in your life though not a liberal up tell today I have found our commentary at least some what understandable. As of today I have decide that really your America and mine probably do not exist in the same world. Wilson is the first Congressmen to ever be slappd with a Congressial Resolution in said manner, honestly your party has Congressmen keeping mone in their freezer but they will let the issue die of in commity but your going to write an article for the whole world to read accusing the second party of a 2 party system of racism? Maybe you forgot that America has two parties because half of us dont believe in socialized medicine yes we were all tired of the war and yes thats what last November was it was a race ran on anti war feelings strengthened by a bad year in the economy. This wasnt America saying they wanted socialized medicine I am sorry if you think it was thats your lose but really at this point as an America who doesnt support the Presidents view on my nations future it sickens me that someone I have respected for years would accuse me of racism because I to believe the President was lieing.

I am not a racist but let it be known that never again will I advice any of my students family or freinds to read any of your articles because honestly I lost every bit of respect foryou I have eer had!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your implication that decent is racist sickens me and your complete lie that no one ever called Bush a liar is laughable. Your party hs belittled Soldiers by saying the cause was pointless belittled America by implyine we are all racist and belittled democracy by turning to demographing hate mongering. If you were going to say enough is enough it would have been nice if you got back to the facts about the health care debate instead of trying to broaden the arguement into one on race relations.

You sicken me as you try to use race to push through health care reform most Americans never wanted.

I might not have the same degree you have but I studied enough statistics in COLLEGE to know that this years election wasnt the largest vote in US histoy and infact was lower by percent then the 2004 election this years vote was an electorate tired of war. NOT impaciently waiting for free drugs. The fact that you talk about your freinds organizing FOX news boycotts akes me believe that really the people running this Government and you included are as far to the lef of your party as the Christian Right is to the right of my party.

Only Social CONs engage in boycots so really I would put you on the on exactly the other end of the spectrum you live in the world of Social LIB bubbledom.


GOOD DAY and I hope someday you live in a city with real racial problems so you know what they look like and wont just run your mouth.

PEOPLE like you are going to caue more hate then you ever claim to be helping prevent.

Do you think the House rules measure would have passed if everyone who voted for it had to publically and retroactively apologize for similar infractions against past presidents?

You continue the strawman argument that opposition to Obama should be outlawed, unless of course that person is your kindred spirit. When Democrats or Liberal oppose it's ok. If Independents oppose, they have been tainted by the Right's opposition, and Republican or Conservative opposition is Racist. This was a mindless article, which exhibits your small minded views to which you are completely entitled, still.

If people want to talk about racism, then let's talk about it.

People who make these claims of racism, are racists themselves. They perpetuate racism by making these claims at every turn of any issue they don't like. The claim of racism is losing its effect, and certainly has lost it's cache. Figure out a real argument to make your points. There aren't that many racists in country. If there were, Obama would not have been elected.

None of the racists ever bring black and white (excuse the phrase of course) facts to the argument. It is always a general accusation. Power to the strawman. How many black voters, voted for him simply because he is black. Unless the Republicans had run a black candidate opposite Obama, they would vote Obama. Hmmmm.

Why is opposition to the Health Care plan racist? I suspect a large majority of beneficiaries of another government social program for health care will be blacks. Is that not the case? Hmmmm. Or will your general claim be because, we white people are born racists and can't stand him to succeed. Hmmmm.

Obama himself has done nothing to quell this movement. Actually, he, and his administration, has propelled it. Ooops. Sorry for that general references. I got tainted from reading this article.

Ms. Estrich, if President Obama is to be a uniter of the people as he so stated many times in his campaign speeches, he sure has not shown to be one. What this country needs right now is our President who will address the American people and say enough is enough, Americans and political pundits both liberal, conservative, and independent stop invoking the race card game, I don't believe that Americans voicing their opinions, both for and against my policies do so with racial intentions. I certainly do not espouse this rhetoric.
Unfortunately, this will never happen, truth be known this tactic is exactly what ushered in our first bi-racial president and will no doubt be used to dominate America's politics for better or worse. May God protect our liberty and freedom of speech.

Concerned American Patriot

Susan, you are correct, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Knock off the race baiting. This was a disappointing article. Usually your articles have substance whether I agree with the content or not. As mentioned above, Democrats booed the State of the Union Address. In several instances, Bush was called a liar, maybe not to his face, by numerous democrats on the floor of the House. That is an outright falsehood in your commentary. And since the Democrats had to re-write the bill to exclude illegal immigrants, Joe Wilson was correct. Rude, yes, but correct. The President's statement was a lie.

Only a racist like Maureen Dowd hears those voices in her head. Nobody else. Only the racist Maureen Dowd. She plays the race card any time the argument against Obama's policies cannot be won on substance. That is a sad pattern of the overtly liberals in the press.

Let's get back to articles of substance, maybe showing your support of the Obama policies on health care, finance reform or Israel. Or write articles where you challenge Obama's policies on health care, finance reform or Israel.
This article was beneath your prior standards.

Susan, you are correct, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Knock off the race baiting. This was a disappointing article. Usually your articles have substance whether I agree with the content or not. As mentioned above, Democrats booed the State of the Union Address. In several instances, Bush was called a liar, maybe not to his face, by numerous democrats on the floor of the House. That is an outright falsehood in your commentary. And since the Democrats had to re-write the bill to exclude illegal immigrants, Joe Wilson was correct. Rude, yes, but correct. The President's statement was a lie.
Only a racist like Maureen Dowd hears those voices in her head. Nobody else. Only the racist Maureen Dowd. She plays the race card any time the argument against Obama's policies cannot be won on substance. That is a sad pattern of the overtly liberals in the press.
Let's get back to articles of substance, maybe showing your support of the Obama policies on health care, finance reform or Israel. Or write articles where you challenge Obama's policies on health care, finance reform or Israel.
This article was beneath your prior standards.

Susan,
You have gone off the deep end with hypocrisy here. For instance, the New York Times has become an organ of haters. For example, Paul Krugman called those opposed to Global Warming Alarmism traitors, and he really meant it. Environmentalists routinely slur those opposed to Alarmism by calling them deniers, and thus, linking them to the Holocaust. Maureen Dowd has hatefully savaged Sarah Palin on several occasions. Those opposed to treating homosexuality as the moral equivalent of heterosexuality as slurred with the term homophobes as though they have a mental illness. What Wilson did was stupid and detestable, but it is something liberals routinely do to conservatives without thinking about their insults and hate.
Until liberals can tone down their hate and condescension, they must be ready to take what they give.

JD

I am a life long Republican/Independent who admires you tremendously. You are my favorite liberal! I read your column daily. But I do need to remind everyone that preceding Obama there was a President who was so maligned and trashed by everyone in the media as well as most of the Congress, that it set a terrible precedent. I think it started with Clinton and his escapades...we learned that we do not need to respect thee President or the office. And that attitude reached its peak during the George Bush years. So now the feelings have come home to roost, and everyone feels perfectly OK with insulting the President...or anyone else with whom they disagree. I long for the good old days. Keep up the good work Susan, but this column is way off...

I am so sick of this. SICK, SICK, SICK. I had respect for you as a liberal because usually you had balanced views. I do not care if Mr. Obama is purple. I do care where he is taking the country. I do care that we are going to be in the poor house eventually. I do care that you can never challenge him without being called some name. I do care that he says whatever the crowd wants to hear. I do care that he changes his position too much, so I don't trust him. President Bush was treated with no respect from the left so they set the example. Before becoming a teacher of decorum, perhaps the left should be students and practicers. Mark my word: if this continues, Obama's poll numbers will keep dropping.

Susan Estrich is a typical Obama fan. They have short term memories. I have never seen anything close to the nastiness done to Prisident Bush when he was in office. Nancy Pelosi continually called him a liar. They booed him in the house during a state of the union address. Every far left liberal senator did their best to demolish his Presidency. Now the Republicans are giving it back and all I hear is how unpatriotic they are. What bunk. If you want civility in government than practice it when your man is not in office. Than I will take you seriously. What hyprocrisy it is no wonder the press is losing credibility with the american people when they can see how nasty they are to one president and how full of excuses they are for another.

Susan, you are on the top of my list of favorite liberals and I seek you out wherever I can find you but enough is enough about that. You are a well reasoned thinker or in another word brilliant. But you wrote this article to soon after the events while you were really steamed. And we all know what steam in sufficient quantities can do to brilliance. So take a week or two and approach the topic again because in this case enough is not enough.

If the essence of this column were a sound, it would be a thud. I mean, one of Susan's friends is going to change allergy meds due to content on FoxNews. Thud, thud, thud, what a dud!
Uh, this is still the United States, right? Major policy changes should receive great scrutiny. And I fully support the high-pitched scrutiny that average citizens are directing toward the president's health care plan. And I think that makes me a great American.

If the essence of this column were a sound, it would be a thud. I mean, one of Susan's friends is going to change allergy meds due to content on FoxNews. Thud, thud, thud, what a dud!
Uh, this is still the United States, right? Major policy changes should receive great scrutiny. And I fully support the high-pitched scrutiny that average citizens are directing toward the president's health care plan. And I think that makes me a great American.

You sound as if you have become emotionally unhinged.
You are just soooo mad at people who won't just shut their mouths and do what you & Barack Obama, with your superior intellects and insight and benevolence, just know in your hearts & souls & minds is best for the rest of us.
And even your friends who are also obviously smart and compassionate are so mad at the pure racism & ignorance of their fellow countrymen for not seeing that Barack Obama has the answer and agreeing with him that they are willing to kiss of the entire people of Israel in a heartbeat.
Susan, I have been an Independent for 55 years and your column is the worst example of a liberal argument I think I've ever seen. I'm sorry to say I used to have some respect for you.

Susan,
I am so tired of Liberals pulling the race card from page 1 of their playbook. The vast and overwhelming majority of people who oppose Obama, oppose him on the substance of his policies, race has nothing to do with it. These same people also oppose Pelosi and Reid, it's not just Obama. Let me assure you Susan, the majority of people do not want what Obama is selling. So if you think that in any way what you've said in this article is a deterrent, you are sadly mistaken. Obama is the one who has the disconnect with the American people; we are not a far left leaning country, so if he continues with this course of action he will run into ever increasing opposition. Americans will no longer sit idly by and watch their country be "transformed". We are going to fight it at every single step, so prepare yourself. Obama is not a unifer, he is a divider of people. You just proved that by delcaring yourselves to be our "enemy".

i was hoping to be able to contribute but since many of my fellow AMERICANS said it so well i won't bother to try. i used caps because i've always been very proud to be an american. however, i have never been more proud of my country than i am today.

How much do you charge to haunt houses? p.s. you have a good case against your plastic surgeon.

Susan,

You have plenty of evidence to question Congressman Wilson' s sense of respect, his dignity, his integrity, and his honor. If you want to go get 'em, have at it. But you have no evidence to say he's a racist.

If Hillary had been the president, would Wilson then be sexist?

If Barney Frank were, would he then be a homophobe?

If Joe Lieberman were, would he then be an anti-semite?

No. He would simply be the jerk whose respect, dignity, integrity, and honor you properly question. Let's leave it there, OK?

Susan,

You have plenty of evidence to question Congressman Wilson' s sense of respect, his dignity, his integrity, and his honor. If you want to go get 'em, have at it. But you have no evidence to say he's a racist.

If Hillary had been the president, would Wilson then be sexist?

If Barney Frank were, would he then be a homophobe?

If Joe Lieberman were, would he then be an anti-semite?

No. He would simply be the jerk whose respect, dignity, integrity, and honor you properly question. Let's leave it there, OK?

Susan,
You have plenty of evidence to question Congressman Wilson' s sense of respect, his dignity, his integrity, and his honor. If you want to go get 'em, have at it. But you have no evidence to say he's a racist.
If Hillary had been the president, would Wilson then be sexist?
If Barney Frank were, would he then be a homophobe?
If Joe Lieberman were, would he then be an anti-semite?
No. He would simply be the jerk whose respect, dignity, integrity, and honor you properly question. Let's leave it there, OK?

Dear MS. Estrich:

I read your column with sadness.

You and the liberal media are attacking the messenger and not the message.

For eight years the democrats repeatedly attacked George Bush calling him a liar, stupid and Senator Durbin called him Hitler. The Left cheered a movie that advocated assassinating the President. I didn't hear any outrage by Democrats about these vicious attacks.

We conservatives were angry and wished W would respond, but he refused. Now we hear Jimmy Carter call the criticism of Obama “Racism”

Americans didn't care about the fact that Obama is black. That's one of the factors, which elected him, for Heavens sake! But we do care that we now have Reds (Marxists) in the White House.

You said you are concerned about Israel's safety. This President is a good friend with Putin, Chavez, Ortega, Hamas and Castro. He is no friend of Israel.

Obama was elected on the basis that he was a moderate that would unite the country and restore our economy.

You and the Democrats had better open your eyes to the radicalism of the new Democrat party.

Respectfully yours,

Paul Loubris

"Destroying what is best about our country is not something to brag to your children about." Best about our country????? Stopping Obama is what is best for our country!

Susan,

I've enjoyed most of your articles and seeing you on TV. However, now you've got me thinking that instead of being intellectually honest you are now moving into the realm of "just playing the game" like so many others in this industry.

You can't possibly be so unable to put yourself in somebody else's shoes can you? You don't remember the treatment GWB received? It was, and still is, relentless and beyond the pale. What is "you lie" compared to serious discussions of bringing GWB before an international court and hanging him as a war criminal? You tell me...

My goodness, it's hard to believe the 17-September column "Enough is Enough" and the 14-August "Two Problems" are written by a single individual. What turned you away from the disdain you held for those who demonised dissent, to participating in that very demonisation? Was it Joe Wilson's outburst? What in Mr. Wilson's outburst shows underlying racist motives? Did you just slander a person's good name on the thinnest basis possible - what you thought he *might* be thinking ? Is this what you've concluded is 'civil discourse' -- civil enough for *your* tastes, and *your* discourse?
Even if you have somehow convinced yourself that Mr. Wilson is indeed a racist at heart (I don't think you made a very solid case for that, but as a lawyer I would think you should/would have laid that foundation), do you think you've made a positive contribution to the discourse on the political issues at hand by painting the 'opposition' with a very broad brush smeared with the worst slur available in today's political "armory".
You have written much more thoughtful and convincing columns, Ms. Estrich. I look forward to reading more of them. Today's column is a disappointment, hopefully it is not a portent of future works.

Wow! What's it like, free-falling over the edge of reality? You don't remember the rude, loud "booing'"of Pres. Bush by Congressional Democrats at both State of the Union addresses and Joint sessions of Congress? The uncalled for insults from Harry Reid referriung to Pres. Bush as a liar and loser to gradeschool kids? Or the other countless number of insulting and derrogatory epithets cast at Republicans by Democrats in Congressional sesions and public addresses? Please! Rep. Joe Wilson was wrong, and he's apologized directly to Pres. Obama for his behavior. Get over it! Move on to worrying more about Pres. Obama's Foreign Policy and the actions he is taking that will further endanger Israel, our European allies and our own country! And don't believe for a minute that the Joe Wilson incident has angered and lost Conservatives' support for conservative values! That's just your undocumented wishful thinking at work! Excuse me now! Some of my recently ex-Liberal friends and I are going out to buy some Claritin!

Susan, you are one of the few Liberals whose columns I read. I don't often agree, but you are fair and honest, and I appreciate that.

You have no credibility on this subject, though. You sat by, silently, while everything that everyone here said happened to President Bush, and now you decry the comparably mild disrespect of President Obama.

It will not work. You paid the piper for eight years, tacitly and silently, you did not argue when the tune was set. You will have to live with the fruits of your silence. People are angry at Obama, for many reasons, and they have been given permission, by the press and the media elites, to be rude to him...so they will...and, to be honest, I cannot feel bad about it.

Maybe, in the future, we can return civility to our body politic...but it will not happen until the elites who destroyed the semblance of civility realize what they have done, admit they were wrong, APOLOGIZE to President Bush, and ask everyone to forgive them.