In a word, no. As much as I can understand the liberal impulse to paint Republicans as disloyal after eight years of the right accusing anyone who didn't want to sign onto whatever war or violation of American civil liberties the GOP was pushing, I just think it's wrong. I think it's a real problem when admission to political debate is predicated on someone proving their patriotism, and I think arguments about policy should remain arguments about policy, and not whether the individual in question has proven they're "American" enough to be speaking.
That however, doesn't excuse the people opposed to health care reform who have been deliberately shutting down debate in townhalls through yelling or intimidation, or simply making things up in order to paint the reform effort as some sort of sinister project reminiscent of Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy (Which, incidentally, isn't any better than calling someone "un-American.") Also, leave the hammers at home, plz.
Over the last eight years, I got really sick of the right using a narrowly defined understanding of patriotism to define the parameters of political debate, and it's actually really frustrating to see some Democrats do the same thing. It doesn't have to be "un-American" to be dishonest or wrong. Or in some cases, just stupid. Liberals should be trying to remove this kind of McCarthyite impulse from our political discourse, not legitimizing it. Besides, from a utilitarian point of view, liberals just aren't as good at it as conservatives are.
-- A. Serwer
