A Republican House member, Rep. Joe Wilson shouted “You lie” during President Obama’s health care speech to Congress on Wednesday (Sep 9), and members of both parties condemned the heckling.
Is this what this debate on Universal Healthcare gotten to? A bunch of immature heckling? This is so bad, “Dennis the Menace” would have looked at Mr. Wilson like he lost his mind.
“Mr. Wilson, why are you yelling at the president like that?”
“I was wrong, Dennis.”
“Mommy makes me apologize to the class when I yell at the teacher.”
After the speech, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson issued a statement apologizing for his outburst.
“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,” the statement 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 and spoke with Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who accepted the apology on the president’s behalf, according to a senior administration official.
“We can disagree without being disagreeable,” Emanuel said to Wilson, according to the official. “That was the point of the president’s speech.”
The outburst came when Obama denied that proposed health care legislation would provide free health coverage for illegal immigrants. Immediately, Wilson shouted, “You lie!”
The outburst caused Obama to stop and look toward the heckler. “That’s not true,” the president responded.
This man should step down. He has proven that he is not in the proper mental condition to represent his state of South Carolina. That state been through enough already, right?
South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler stated, “Once again a South Carolina Republican has embarrassed our state,” Fowler’s office said in a statement that referred to S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s extramarital affair.
“Never has any member of Congress shown such disrespect for the president during a speech,” Fowler wrote. “One would think that as a member of the military, Joe Wilson would have more respect and patriotism than he displayed tonight. When Congressman Wilson insulted President Obama, he also insulted the American public. Joe Wilson is a poor example of a statesman and an American. He owes an apology to the president and the American people.”
The Democrat hoping to unseat Wilson in next year’s midterm elections also quickly seized on the Republican’s outburst.
“Rep. Wilson’s behavior tonight exemplifies everything that is wrong in Washington,” Democrat Rob Miller said in a statement provided to CNN. “Instead of engaging in childish name-calling and disrespecting our commander-in-chief, Joe Wilson should be working towards a bipartisan solution that makes quality, affordable health care available to each and every South Carolinian.”
I’ll try not to go to South Carolina anytime soon. I heard about how they like to fly those Confederate flags.
“Why is anyone surprised that a congressional representative from South Carolina would publicly heckle the country’s first African-American President? Especially the guy who comes out of the shadow of the segregationist Strom Thurmond! The outburst was significant because it demonstrated how bothered and angered some people are about having a Black president. The disdain people have for Obama has little to do with his political ideas; the hatred is about who he is.
It is so obvious folks. They are doing everything except calling him the N Word (in public).” chicozen — a commenter on The Huffington Post
Links:
Joe Wilson shouts to Obama during speech: ‘You lie’ – CNN.com
Joe Wilson Apologizes For Shouting “You Lie!” At Obama – Huffington Post
The Anacostia Diaries 