QUOTE OF THE DAY - AT 7:38 A.M. ET:  From David Keene in the San Francisco Examiner:

Americans are finally getting a good look at the man in the White House. They’ve been thrilled by his speeches, love his kids and almost desperately want to believe he is who they voted for. It turns out, however, that he simply can’t tolerate disagreement.

In President Barack Obama’s view, those who disagree with him really ought to just shut up. His critics, after all, are the people responsible for the problems he was elected to solve, dupes and hirelings of those responsible, or dangerous kooks.

COMMENT:  I'm afraid that Keene, who is head of the American Conservative Union, is right.  The president comes from the intellectual class that believes it is superior to the rest of we mere mortals.  Even on health care, the most personal of subjects, "we know" seems to be their rallying cry.

We have to be careful here.  There are serious problems in the health-care system, problems that introduce great inefficiencies and inflated costs.  These problems should be solved.  The trouble is, Obama's plan will not solve them.  It may even make them worse.  We who oppose his approach must have a coherent plan of our own, and show the American people who the problem solvers really are.

In the meantime, we do have the right to dissent, even if it means disagreeing with The One.  Says so in the Constitution.

August 11, 2009