US Congress = Bizarro Version of British Parliament?

In more good news: Glenn Thrush at Politico just informed me that it's now against the rules to insult the government or its leaders in the halls of Congress courtesy of House Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY). Ain't it cool how much the Democrats support free speech?

It's like watching a hyper-speed version of The Road to Serfdom up in this joint.

Thrush writes:

Especially useful: The section on how to properly insult the executive branch in the in the chamber.

"Disgrace" and "nitwits" -- okay.

"Liar" or "sexual misconduct" -- ixnay.

Under section 370 of the House Rules and Manual it has been held that a Member could:

• refer to the government as “something hated, something oppressive.”
• refer to the President as “using legislative or judicial pork.”
• refer to a Presidential message as a “disgrace to the country.”
• refer to unnamed officials as “our half-baked nitwits handling foreign affairs.”

Likewise, it has been held that a member could not:

• call the President a “liar.”
• call the President a “hypocrite.”
• describe the President’s veto of a bill as “cowardly.”
• charge that the President has been “intellectually dishonest.”
• refer to the President as “giving aid and comfort to the enemy.”
• refer to alleged “sexual misconduct on the President’s part.”

Wow. I'm half-surprised at this point that Rep. Slaughter (what a waste of an awesome name for an elected official!) didn't also mandate that the president be heretofore referred to as "His Holiness", "His Majesty", "King Barack" or simply "Dear Leader". If you're going to censure and censor all criticism, you may as well go the distance.