So we're tea bag extremists, eh?

In order to persuade some House Democrats who were undecided about voting for the health-care deform legislation, or H.R. 3962, last week, President Obama resorted to name-calling of those opposed to the legislation.

As the New York Times reported on Nov. 7:

According to Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, who supports the health care bill, the president asked, "Does anybody think that the teabag, anti-government people are going to support them if they bring down health care? All it will do is confuse and dispirit" Democratic voters "and it will encourage the extremists."

I was personally insulted, but even more disappointed that the president would label those of us who oppose a government takeover of our health-care system as teabag, anti-government and extremists. We are accustomed to name-calling by Sen. Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Barney Frank, but it lessens the office of the president when he engages in typical liberal tactics.

I will not lose any sleep over being insulted because I have been to that rodeo many times in my life. But I am extremely disappointed, for the sake of our country, that the president and the elected congressional leaders are not serious about vigorous debate, alternative solutions to problems, or even trying to solve the right problems.

One could say that the president's remarks are just another addition to the list of broken promises by the president, such as transparency, reaching across the political aisle, allowing the public at least five days to review legislation before he signs it and helping to bring the country together instead of creating divisive tension. Alternatively, one could say that this is the real Barack Obama, who many people were hoping was not hiding behind eloquently written speeches and rhetoric.

Unfortunately, it's both.

Contrary to the president's suggestion, the opposition is not about bringing down health care. It is about saving health care from another government bureaucracy.

The president and the Democrats continue to dismiss what we are saying.

We reject this government power grab of our health-care system. We reject the government mandates on individuals and businesses. We reject the propaganda about not adding to the deficit and cutting Medicare without cutting services. We reject the road to a single-payer socialized health-care system, which always leads to health-care rationing. Overall, we reject this health-care Trojan horse.

The good news is that more and more people are rejecting the policies of this administration and this Congress. According to a recent Gallup poll, the percentage of people (48 percent) who would vote for Republican candidates in November 2010 is now greater than those (44 percent) that would vote for Democrats. This is almost the exact opposite of what the results were just four months ago.

As expected, the biggest shift has come from independent registered voters. If you factor in the number of conservatives who, regrettably, stayed home last November because they did not like the Republican presidential candidate, next November could be very exciting for conservatives.

People are waking up! They are going to support candidates who they believe will do the right thing for the country, regardless of their political party affiliation. But unfortunately for most of the Democrats, they are digging themselves into a political hole with their massive big-government liberal proposals in Congress.

Members of Congress who voted for the whirlwind Cap & Trade & Tax & Kill bill and/or the health-care deform legislation have already turned millions of voters against them. And in 2010, voters will remember in November.

Mr. President, name-calling is not going to shut us up, or make us forget.