A new low in Congress
Representative (SC) Joe Wilson yells at the President.
Joe Wilson Apologizes For Shouting “You Lie!” At Obama
Ryan Grim HuffPost reporting
Posted: 09- 9-09 11:26 PM
Fresh from a month of acrimonious town halls, House Republicans arrived for President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night with signs, props, and a lot of attitude.
But at least one congressman went way too far. Rep. Joe Wilson shouted “You lie!” after Obama denied that his health care proposal would cover illegal immigrants.
Looking at ‘the heckler’ during President’s speech in Congress.
All eyes turned in the South Carolina Republican’s direction — including Obama’s, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s and Vice President Joe Biden’s.
Wilson, looking agitated, leaned forward and began tapping away at his BlackBerry, as if he were Googling up proof that the president had, in fact, lied.
“Shame on you!” shouted someone from the Democratic side. “Throw him out!” shouted someone else. First Lady Michelle Obama seated behind and above Wilson, seemed to mouth a drawn-out “damn” at the scene unfolding before her.
Not long after the speech ended, Wilson issued an apology. “This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill,” he said. “While I disagree with the President’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility.” Wilson also called the White House to apologize.
Wilson’s wasn’t the only disruption, though it was the most extreme. Throughout the speech, Republican members of Congress repeatedly held up stacks of papers that appeared to represent ideas they had for the bill.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) held signs that read “What Bill?” and “What Plan?”
When Obama told the chamber that the “death panel” lie was, in fact, a lie, a Republican member said loudly enough to be heard in the press gallery, “Read the bill” — a common refrain at August’s angry town hall meetings.
When Obama told the chamber that he had “no interest in putting insurance companies out of business,” a Republican member responded with a loud, “Ha!”
“Nineteen years, never, never have I seen anything like this,” said a furious Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) after the speech.
“I thought it was very inappropriate behavior, to hold up signs. None of us ever would have done that,” said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). “I don’t think in the Congress of the United States there ought to be catcalls, or people standing up and yelling comments or holding up signs.”
Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the longest serving member in House history, said he was not impressed by the GOP antics. “Well, you’ve got to understand: They’re Republicans. They’re just doing what comes natural,” he told HuffPost.
Obama, in his speech, referenced Dingell’s father for first introducing universal health care legislation in 1943. Dingell has introduced such a bill every year he’s been in Congress and today’s House bill bears his name.
“I am not the first President to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last,” Obama said of the long history of failed efforts. It struck a chord with Dingell. “The best speech I’ve ever heard on the floor of the House,” he said.
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The non-partisan organization FactCheck.org has debunked the claim that health care reform would mandate coverage for illegal immigrants.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/09/gop-rep-wilson-yells-out_n_281480.html
My comment: Why is it always South Carolina people who can’t restrain themselves? Look at their sorry record throughout history. And not just starting the shooting attack that got our Civil War started way back in 1860— many incidents reflect their apparent hotheadedness. (I believe one South Carolinian beat another Senator with a metal tipped cane in his own Senate office, years ago, severely injuring his victim.) And there is their unwillingness to compromise… and the inability to discern “wild honey from sheep shit” as my wife’s family used to say about folks who wander about in a perpetual fog.
Sure, he’s a Republican, a political party now known for lack of knowledge on political issues, hardheadedness, greed, criminality (see Blogroll: Republican offenders), immaturity (as in yelling like babies) and, well, you name it and they’ve displayed it since Clinton first unzipped in the White House. But first, this Wilson guy was a child who was raised in “the lowlands”, hot, muggy, bug-infested, racist and damp South Carolina. That climate must affect the way a brain develops. And so now, we have yet another Joe, as ‘Joe the Plumber’ disappears in the sunset of his 15 minutes of fame: ‘Joe the Loudmouth’.
And our typically inappropriate loudmouth Texan representatives? Yeah, some of them just held up hand-lettered signs… like they were at a high school pep rally. Cheers, to our idiots, too.
And, as the televised Keith Olbermann has now pointed out in his 15-minute rant, ‘Special Comment’ on his MSNBC show, it’s not just that the Representative from South Carolina, “Loudmouth Joe”, stepped over the boundary of ‘the loyal opposition’ into the territory of ‘freakin’ nutball who blurts’, he was also WRONG. The proposed bill that is still in the works in committee clearly states in a section headed by ALL CAPITAL LETTERS that illegal aliens in the U.S. will not receive any medical or healthcare benefits under the ‘public option’ of the proposed healthcare and insurance changes.
But, how long has it been since Republican politicians were able to read? Gerry Ford? I truly believe (and I’m not shouting here) that they operate only by the means of gossip and printed talking points in memos that come from god knows where… Rush Limbaugh? Yes, the anticly frantic Limbaugh, who cutely, loudly and angrily said that he didn’t believe Mr. Wilson should have apologized “to Obama” for his outburst. Good, I say, the angrier Rush gets, the greater the chance that he will physically explode. Can’t wait for that.
