Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer doubled down on the attacks of those who disagree with the Administrations attempt to hijack a large portion of our economy and put it under government control with this op-ed in USA Today.

'Un-American' attacks can't derail health care debate By Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer

Let's take a ride in the Mr. Peabody's Way Back Machine shall we.  Let's set the dial April of 2003...the place is the Jefferson Jackson Bailey dinner in Connecticut...the speaker - New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Let's rewind that....

I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you're not patriotic.  We should stand up and say, we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration!

Now an argument can be made that there is a huge difference in context here.  A case could be made that dissent on a foreign policy issue - especially when it comes sabotaging the efforts of our troops who are in a battle zone is one thing.  You can and should say "I don't think we should have gone into that battle zone" but once we are there to actively work defeat our troops as some did (bills to eliminate funding the troops come to mind) that can be taken as being a little less than patriotic.  It's the whole "rally 'round the flag boys" of WWII aspect that comes to mind.  There is NOTHING in this current debate that rises to the "rally 'round the flag boys" standard.  Health care reform - while an important policy issue - does not rise to the level of war and troops being in harms way.

I think we need to remind the Speaker of the House of the words that this administration's Secretary of State spoke.  Any politician who would so cavalierly shut down the free speech of those who disagree with the administration on a policy standpoint by impliying that they are somehow less patriotic than the administration is a politician that has been isolated in DC for far too long.  I don't care which party he (or she) may be from.