Give Shimkus his protest

Some people are outraged that U.S. Rep. John Shimkus walked out on President Barack Obama's speech the other night. The Republican from Collinsville obviously disagrees with Obama's take on health care reform.

We guess the polite thing for Shimkus to do would have been to sit there, grind his teeth and clap insincerely when the speech was over.

Shimkus instead chose political protest over polite, and he has no reason to apologize for that. Protest is a time-honored form of expression in America, dating back to even before the colonists threw the tea into Boston Harbor.

Critics say Shimkus should have heard out the president. But that was Shimkus' whole point. He was expressing frustration with what he felt was Obama just rehashing the same talking points about his health care plan without addressing Republican concerns. Shimkus had heard it all before.

As a member of the minority party, Shimkus doesn't have many ways to make his voice heard, and he knows it. And so on Wednesday he didn't try to shout down or speak over Obama. He just left.

Point taken.

Sunday: Our take on Obama's health care proposal.