Congressmembers rule: No calling Bush a liar

[rodeodance]

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Congress_members_agree_No...


Congressmembers rule: No calling Bush a liar
Michael Roston
Published: Monday July 16, 2007



A Congressional Democrat has been reined in for calling President George W. Bush a 'liar' during a Thursday hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, according to the Monday edition of the newspaper Roll Call.

"Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.) offered a lengthy criticism of Bush’s record toward the end of Thursday’s hearing, which included a statement that Bush lied about the reasons for going to war with Iraq in 2003," writes Susan Davis. "Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) offered an objection on the grounds that Watt’s words were 'unparliamentary' and violated House rules on debate and decorum that forbid personal attacks on Members, the president or vice president."

The exchange occurred just before the end of the hearing that expected to receive testimony from former White House Counsel Harriet Miers, who failed to appear. She cited the White House's exercise of 'executive privilege.'

Davis notes that a problem then occurred.

[cassiepriam]

1. Guess it is illegal for a US politician to tell the truth.

[napi21]

6. That at least explains why so many use phrases like:

Less than truthful

Not entirely factual

Less than honest

And a whole lot more like that! This is the first time I've ever heard a reason why they all tip-toe around just saying what I would!

[cassiepriam]

14. I'd just call him a damn liar and be done with it.

[napi21]

2. I heard about this on cspan this AM.

Apparently there's a House Rule that forbids calling Shrubbie a liar! Had to have been a new rule established by the Pubbies when they were the Maj!

The reprimand was to be against Sanchez for ignoring the House Rules too!

[tridim]

4. Get to work House members, obviously that's a rule that must be changed.

Because Bush is a liar, and not calling him out is a lie by omission.

[Bitwit1234]

3. Oh my God....where was he when

cheney told Senator Leahy to go fu** himself on the floor of the senate...darn..darn...I guess that is not something someone could be scolded for..... after all liar is very very bad. Oh wait...isn't that something scooter did and bush commuted his sentence. Not so bad after all.

[Joe Fields]

5. I wonder what the "official" definition of a lie is...

[AtomicKitten]

7. How else do they explain why *'s pants are on fire?

[TwilightGardener]

8. The quandary: you're a liar for NOT calling him a liar.

[loyalkydem]

9. so can a

citizen be arrested for calling bush a liar?

HEY BUSH, YOU ARE A LIAR!!!

[LeftishBrit]

10. The words 'lie' and 'liar' are also forbidden in the British House of Commons...

but our MPs are good at finding euphemisms such as 'terminological inexactitudes' and 'economical with the truth'.

[napi21]

16. OH I LOVE the Brits! They REALLY know how to use the English

language! They DO have the ability to tell someone to GTH without anyone realizing it...until much later!

[KansDem]

21. Of course they know how to use it--they invented it!

And I, for one, want to thank them for getting rid of those goddamn genders before bringing it over here...

Thanks, Brits, for "the" and "a(n)" and nothing else!

Sign me,
Former student of German and French.

[struggle4progress]

11. A rule like that keeps discussion focused: otherwise, there would be constant

off-topic floor spats

If you can't make a good case that someone is a lying scumbag, while using entirely courteous language and avoiding name-calling, then in fact you probably can't make the case

<edit: spelingg>

[old guy]

12. They can do what ever they want

but it is out in public now. The toothpaste is out of the tube. Everyone will remember it and the harder they try to make it go away the more attention it draws.

[MonkeyFunk]

13. Yup

them's the rules. Good ones, too.

Make the bastards be a little clever and inventive, for a change.

[Merlot]

15. Good. I don't like name calling, especially on the House floor

Of course, to say bushco lied is OK by me.

[TankLV]

17. Wonder how long after the WAR CRIMINAL got appointed that this new rule was rushed in by the REPUKE

congress...

don't seem to remember any such prohibition during Clinton's Presidency...

[sampsonblk]

18. Two things

1 - This issue pertains to using the word during official business. From the headline, it sounded like the party had a rule against calling Bush what he is. Not the case. There is no excuse for not calling him what he is.

2 - Rep Cannon can fuck off. If he has a problem with Bush being called a liar, then he should ask Bush to stop lying so much.

[radfringe]

19. then use these words

http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/liar

Main Entry: liar
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: falsifier
Synonyms: cheat, con artist, con man, deceiver, deluder, dissimulator, equivocator, fabler, fabricator, fabulist, false witness, falsifier, fibber, jive turkey, maligner, misleader, perjurer, phony, prevaricator, promoter, storyteller, trickster

[Toots]

20. I don't buy it, they aren't attacking Bush*, they are attacking what he said

Attacking Bush* would be something like he is an asshole, but to question his rhetoric is IMO their damn job...If someone lies they need to be called on it no matter who that person is..Calling a person a LIAR if it is indeed a fact is not an attack but a duty..On the other hand if it were untrue it would be an attack on that person's creibility..

[Supersedeas]

22. when the truth violates the rules on debate and decorum -- squeal and cry about it Repigs

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. It's not a vacation, it's a "Summer District Work Period"

http://www.house.gov/house/House_Calendar.shtml

House Schedule
January 4 110th Congress, 1st Session convenes
January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 19 Presidents Day
February 19 - 23 Presidents Day District Work Period
March 11 Daylight Savings Time Begins
March 17 St. Patrick's Day
April 2 - April 13 Spring District Work Period
April 3 Passover
April 8 Easter
May 13 Mother's Day
May 28 Memorial Day
May 28 - June 1 Memorial Day District Work Period
June 14 Flag Day
June 17 Father's Day
July 2 - July 6 Independence Day District Work Period
July 4 Independence Day
August 6 - August 31 Summer District Work Period
September 3 Labor Day
September 13 Rosh Hashanah
September 22 Yom Kippur
October 8 Columbus Day
October 26 Target Adjournment
November 4 Daylight Savings Time Ends
November 6 Election Day
November 11 Veterans Day
November 22 Thanksgiving Day
December 5 Hanukkah
December 25 Christmas Day