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

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.

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