Is Dem. rhetoric about healthcare opposition just another "climate of fear"?

[valanhb]

Obama has cautioned not to use "a climate of fear" in the healthcare debate. Apparently, once again, that only applies to the other side (those opposed).

A plethora of high profile people have said that opposition to the healthcare reform bills is based in racism.

i.e. Jimmy Carter

"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American," Carter told "NBC Nightly News."

Rep. Charles Rangle (D-NY)

Rep. Charles Rangel said Tuesday that "bias" and "prejudice" toward Obama are fueling opposition to health-care reform.

Columnist Maureen Dowd (specifically about Joe Wilson's outburst of "You lie!" but almost directly following a statement about the healthcare opponents:

I’ve been loath to admit that the shrieking lunacy of the summer — the frantic efforts to paint our first black president as the Other, a foreigner, socialist, fascist, Marxist, racist, Commie, Nazi; a cad who would snuff old people; a snake who would indoctrinate kids — had much to do with race.

<snip>

But Wilson’s shocking disrespect for the office of the president — no Democrat ever shouted “liar” at W. when he was hawking a fake case for war in Iraq — convinced me: Some people just can’t believe a black man is president and will never accept it.

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) in response to Rep. Wilson's outburst, in calling for rebuke of Wilson:

In an obvious reference to the Ku Klux Klan, Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said Tuesday that people will be putting on "white hoods and white uniforms again and riding through the countryside" if emerging racist attitudes, which he says were subtly supported by Wilson, are not rebuked.

Democratic Strategist Jehmu Green tried to turn it around, which sounds utterly ridiculous to me:

But Democratic strategist Jehmu Greene told FOXNews.com that "shadowy right-wing groups" are the ones using the race card as way to scare white voters.

"No one wants to be called a racist," she said. "These right-wing groups are convincing people that Democrats and anyone who supports Obama will be called a racist if they speak out" in opposition. "They are trying to draw a racial line in the sand.

"They are playing the race card to oppose Obama's policies by preemptively saying that he is playing the race card."

Now Nancy Pelosi warns of violence because passions are too high (apparently only on the other side, again). She almost started crying. (that's my editorial comment )

Max Baucus (D-MT) makes it a moral obligation to do it and do it NOW

"The time has come to act," he said. "We have a moral obligation to pass health care reform this year."

It seems to me that the message is that if you oppose the healthcare reform being offered by the Democratic Congress, then you're racist,
inciting violence, and immoral.

I'm not even sure why it's referred to as "Obama's Healthcare Reform" since all he's done is say he wants something done and defend the tripe put out by the Democratic Committees in the House and Senate. But that's really beside the point.

The point is that it seems to me that the "climate of fear" that Obama rallied against during his campaign and even as recently as his speech on the healthcare reform is being played by his party to sell this healthcare reform and do it before they have to start campaigning and definitely before mid-term elections. The only difference is that it was international fear played by Bush, and domestic fear played by Obama.