OPINION:
When a political party runs out of ideas, the only thing left is theatrics. The truth of that statement was on full display Tuesday as liberal members of Congress acted up while President Trump laid out his vision for a Golden Age of America.
Rep. Al Green, Texas Democrat, wasn’t interested in policy. He wanted to make the evening about himself, so he waved his cane and shouted something about Medicaid. He persisted, despite warnings, in his interruption until his removal by the sergeant-at-arms.
On Wednesday, the House voted along party lines to advance a resolution by Rep. Dan Newhouse, Washington Republican, censuring Mr. Green.
“We must as members of this institution leave our rhetoric, calm our energy, make sure our emotions do not take over, and conduct ourselves in a way that all of us can be proud,” Mr. Newhouse said during the censure debate.
An unrepentant Mr. Green responded, “It was not done with a burst of emotion. I was emotional about it, but I did it with intentionality. … Friends, I would do it again.” It’s important to make sure he does not.
From a purely political perspective, the smarter thing would be to allow Democrats to continue degrading themselves. It will do them no favors at the ballot box. A CNN poll found that 80% of viewers were annoyed by Mr. Green, compared with 69% who reacted positively to the president’s oration. Likewise, CBS News found that 76% of viewers approved of the speech, saying it made them “hopeful” or “proud.”
Unable to act like professionals, Democratic representatives sat with dour faces, refusing to acknowledge what should have been bipartisan moments. They even ignored the 13-year-old cancer survivor interested in becoming a police officer.
Clad in pink, these showboaters held up pingpong paddles with slogans such as “Musk Steals,” “False” and “That’s a lie.” They moaned and heckled the president throughout his speech.
These breaches of decorum violate House rules, and there’s a precedent from 1930 for removing placards. Mr. Green’s ejection appears to be the first for a joint address, which means civility has reached a new low. Past State of the Union controversies were far milder by comparison.
In 2009, Rep. Joe Wilson, South Carolina Republican, blurted out, “You lie,” when President Obama claimed illegal aliens would never receive Obamacare. Reflecting on what he thought from the podium, Mr. Obama told CBS he was shocked and angry, saying, “What is he thinking?”
At the time, The Associated Press called it “an extraordinary breach of congressional decorum,” and Mr. Wilson apologized for his rudeness. That’s not to say he was wrong. President Biden did open Obamacare to illegal aliens participating in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
When Mr. Biden was the one giving speeches, two Republican members had a tendency to display their disapproval, but their impropriety pales in comparison with then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Standing from the speaker’s chair, she tore up the text of Mr. Trump’s 2020 State of the Union speech in what was perhaps the nastiest display of partisanship from that position.
Mrs. Pelosi also enforced the rules of the House to deny entry to any member not wearing a face mask during the COVID crisis. House Speaker Mike Johnson ought to borrow that tactic and forbid inappropriate attire and props, restoring order to the chamber during Mr. Trump’s forthcoming speeches.
The American people deserve better from their representatives.
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