Excuse me?

Why was it that during the Bush administration any demonstration or protest--or even mob action--by the Left was heralded as a victory for freedom of speech, but now when independents and conservatives are protesting and demonstrating they're "mobs" and "extremists"? What happened to "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism"? Why is it wrong to question the actions of the administration when they have repeatedly made inexcusable attempts to leave no room for debate themselves?

More on this at Hot Air:

Needless to say, this is the left’s pitiful — and ironic, given the lip service paid above to “thoughtful discussion” — strategy to win the ObamaCare debate by framing the GOP as stone-cold nuts before its own message machine gets rolling during the recess this month. Already today, we’ve had Axelrod whining on MSNBC about “fearmongering” (more irony!), Boxer fretting about people in suits “storming” the town halls, and smilin’ Dick Durbin lamenting that “tea baggers” are trying to turn the meetings into “free for alls.” Isn’t that what the left did for years in public meetings about the war, asked Jake Tapper of Gibbs earlier today.

And more here, as well:

- People who want Congress to take more time debating healthcare are shutting down debate.
- Pres. Obama says the time for talk on healthcare is over, but his critics are trying to shut down debate.
- Harrassing and threatening the families of AIG employees is awesome; razzing Representatives and Senators is totally bogus!
- Asking Representatives and Senators to read bills before voting on them is killing democracy.
- Sen. Specter saying “we have to make judgments very fast” is awesome. Booing him for saying so is shutting off debate.
- Healthcare protesters are thugs shutting off debate; antiwar protesters are “rowdy.”

Heaven help us all if we are not allowed to speak out against issues that affect us all. What happened to representative government? I may not have liked what many of the left protesters had to say, but I would never have questioned their right to protest. I guess it was expecting too much that they would return the courtesy--I mean, right.