On Dissent Crushing

Rep. Betty McCollum, taking a breather from spending billions of US tax dollars on "empowering the ignored and alienated in every corner of our planet", briefly turns her attention to domestic issues:

The Minnesota Democrat, taking aim at instantly-famous Republican Joe Wilson, said his outburst "crossed a line of protocol and decency that may be acceptable for angry 'tea baggers' at a rally, but is completely unacceptable for a member of Congress."

Her personal political action committee (Betty PAC) is also giving $1,000 of its hard-earned donations to whoever is running against Wilson.

McCollum's stated motivation, of grave concern about the decorum required during political speeches, is absurd. As we've been told by them repeatedly, the Democrat party is in the business of dissent, speaking truth to power, getting in people's faces, etc. The difference with this situation is that these very same tactics were directed at the One who shall not be criticized and that will not be tolerated.

Her belief in this is so strong that she's willing to give a grand of her precious political donations to see this critic lose his job and be silenced (at least from speaking in an official capacity). And by the way, you citizens in Betty McCollum's district who attended protest rallies opposing Obama health care reform, you're not off the hook either. In case you didn't notice, you have been officially smeared by your Representative, using crude sexual innuendo against you. I guess the "lines of protocol and decency" don't extend to the common people. Remember that next time you think you have the right to speak out against what the government is planning for you.

UPDATE: According to Open Secrets, the Betty PAC has raised over $27,000 for the 2010 election cycle, already over twice as much as for the entire 2008 cycle. I don't know why that would be.

Biggest donors are: The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ($5,000), The Teamsters ($2,500), and, incongruously in this company, 3M ($1,000).

UPDATE: Speaking of crossing lines of protocol and decency, McCollum claims Joe Wilson did it by calling the President a liar. Those lines must have been redrawn since 2008, when Rep. McCollum said from that same House chamber regarding a different President:

"At a time when America is facing tremendous challenges at home and around the world, this is the best budget that the worst President in American history will agree to."

The protocol! The decency! Oh, the humanity!