Obama: ‘You Can Question My Policies Without Questioning My Citizenship’

by Colby Hall | 2:12 pm, February 4th, 2010

» 7 comments

Taking on his most extreme critics directly, President Obama spoke both of the need for increased civility in today’s political discourse and called out the “birther movement” (in the most civil of ways.) In an appearance during the National Prayer Breakfast, Obama reiterated a narrative he started last Friday when he held a Q&A with House Republicans last Friday – adding that civility is not a sign of weakness.

Text from this section of his speech (video below):

Civility also requires relearning out to disagree without being disagreeable. Understanding, as president’s said, that civility is not a sign of weakness. Now I am the first to confess that I am not always right. Michelle will testify to that. But surely you can question my policies without questioning faith. Or for that matter, my citizenship.

Challenging each others’ ideas can renew our democracy but when we challenge each other’s motives, it becomes harder to see what we hold in common. We forget that we share at some deep level, the same dreams. Even when we don’t share the same plans on how to fulfill them.

barack obama, Birthers, Civility, National Prayer Breakfast

The Real Royal King

No, no, no. If the rightists don’t have venomous anger and absurd conspiracies, they don’t have anything.
Ben Linus

I have to admit, that was a great line.
@The Real Royal King
The rightists? Oh, come on, there’s “venomous anger and absurd conspiracies” on both sides. Nice try, though.
TfT

Perhaps he should practice what he preaches. His lack of civility is on display regularly.

Furthermore, he needs to learn how to pronounce “corpsman”; if he is going to praise the military, he needs to at least learn how to pronounce corpsman.
J Baustian

Hehehe, yes, the Commander-in-Chief should at least be familiar with the term “corpsman”. One doesn’t have to serve in the military, he needs only watch a few movies like “Saving Private Ryan”.

I wonder, if he asks his Secretary of the Navy how the Marine Corps is doing, does the Secretary have to correct Obama’s pronunciation of “Marine Corps”?
Duc du Berry

Why are some Americans having so many problems dealing with a sane president?
rsanchez1

Hrmm, I wonder why he’s getting so defensive about his citizenship. If they’re all just whackjob loons, he should just ignore them, right?

Duc du Berry, we haven’t had a sane president for a very long time. Clinton “did not have sexual relationships with that woman.” Bush has, well, Bushisms. Obama just loves to surround himself with people who are horrible at public speaking. Old Joe has all his gaffes, Rahm came out recently and totally took a dump on special needs children, and Obama just rambles on and on if he doesn’t have the TOTUS.
pyrope

Can we question Mr. -Obama’s ideology, too?

The last sane president we had was Ronald Reagan–hell, maybe he’s the ONLY sane president we’ve had since Jackson.