The right-wing Christians make a good point...

Never thought I'd say that.

For the record: ixnay on socialized medicine -- government will screw it up, illegal aliens and morons will raid it to death, and then there's one more thing they can deny you if they don't like your views.

Don Wildmon wrote:

"All over the country, normal citizens are exercising their God-given rights of assembly, free speech and dissent. It is important for elected members of Congress to hear from their constituents, and it is a healthy exercise for our democratic republic.

"But the reaction from some in the media and political establishment has been very disturbing. It appears as though there is a coordinated effort to delegitimize public dissent, which strikes at the heart of our constitutional guarantee of free speech. Here is a sample of statements we have collected in the past 24 hours:

• "One member of Congress from Texas referred to his own constituents as "a mob," saying, "This mob...did not come just to be heard, but to deny others the right to be heard."

• "From the Democratic National Committee: "Republicans and their allied groups -- desperate after losing two consecutive elections and every major policy fight on Capitol Hill -- are inciting angry mobs of a small number of rabid right wing extremists funded by K Street Lobbyists to disrupt thoughtful discussions about the future of health care in America taking place in Congressional Districts across the country."

• "From a Virginia congressman: "When you look at the fervor of some of these people who are all being whipped up by the right-wing talking heads on Fox, to me, you’re crossing a line."

• "White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs: "I hope people will take a jaundiced eye to what is clearly the Astroturf nature of grass-roots lobbying. This is manufactured anger."

• "CNN commentator and political strategist Donna Brazile: "They're renting organizers. The left has done it. Now they're doing it. This little small band of protesters are trying to stop members [of Congress] from doing their jobs."
"The same leftists who for years applauded when demonstrators took over the streets to protest the Iraq war, amnesty for illegal aliens or who attacked churches that supported marriage remaining between a man and woman, suddenly see a few hundred retirees, small businessmen, homemakers, farmers, sales clerks and just plain folks as evidence of 'rightwing extremism.'

"My friends, the Left believes that name-calling can intimidate you into silence. Don't cave! As an American, you have a right to express your views to the politicians who WORK FOR YOU, even if they don't like it.

"The fact is, you are in the majority now – not the leftists trying to push European socialism on you. The American people do not want government-run healthcare, as a new poll out today from Quinnipiac University shows. The poll found that '52 percent of American voters disapprove of the way [the president] is handling the health-care issue and 39 percent approve.' Here's more from the poll: By a whopping 72%-to-21% margin, voters don't believe healthcare reform will be paid for or be 'deficit neutral.' And by a 20-point margin, 57%-to-37%, voters say healthcare reform should be abandoned if it adds to the deficit.

"By the way, the Washington, D.C., newspaper The Hill reported this weekend that labor unions and leftwing organizations "will spend between $10 million and $20 million this month to twist lawmakers' arms over the stalled healthcare reform effort in Congress" and the Employee Free Choice Act. So, ACORN, Big Labor and other groups can organize and protest in support of the liberal agenda, but how dare anyone speak up against it!

"My fear, given the stakes and emotions on both sides, is that union thugs, ACORN activists and leftwing anarchists (who ransacked the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul during last year's Republican National Convention) will turn violent and innocent people will get hurt. If that happens, the radical Left will bear the responsibility for demonizing free speech."