Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) apologizes for emotional outburst and raises cash for campaign opponent
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) apologized for screaming “you lie” at President Barack Obama during last night’s joint session of Congress. As Rep. Wilson explained, his emotions got the best of him.
It also got close to 2,000 people, including me, to give money to Rep. Wilson’s opponent Rob Miller. As of this post, Miller has raised close to $70,000 within hours of Rep. Wilson’s emotional outburst.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) called the incident “totally insulting.” Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) said he’s “never seen anything like that before.”
“He apologized immediately afterward but I don’t think that’s adequate… If an apology is the consequence of an outburst I think we can expect more – that’s not a sufficient penalty that’s not a sufficient price to pay.. I’m not saying the guy should be kicked out of the House… But there ought to be some rebuke, reprimand, censure — something that will discourage that kind of conduct in the future. If you do that to the President, it’s open season.”
Rep. Wilson issued the following apology shortly after the incident.
This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the presidents remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the healthcare bill. While I disagree with the presidents statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.
UPDATE 8:14PM - Rep. Joe Wilson’s 2010 opponent, Rob Miller, has now raised over $500,000.
Wilson’s outburst was rude and uncivil. But let’s dial up the wayback machine to 2005 and consider the outburst of dozens of Democrats during President Bush’s State of the Union Address. Do the facts that the 2005 outburst was engaged in by a substantial number of representatives, rather than a single one, and was very likely planned in advance make it less offensive than Wilson’s outburst or more offensive?
I can’t even remember the ‘05 outburst, which means that in a few years I won’t remember this one either. However, you can bet that it will be part of the upcoming reelection campaign! Glad I’m not from SC and won’t have to wade through that one.
I am live in South Carolia and many people have serious problems with healthcare and being able to afford treatments. Rep. Wilson has goverment supplied healthcare! He is somewhat wealthy! Many of us in South Carolina are not! We are middle class or down right poor. Our state is down right POOR! We need help. How is calling the president a liar, representing us as our Representative to Congress!! He wasn’t looking out for us…….Just the progress of his party. At the end of the day.. We still have to find away to pay for healthcare!!!!
- Aiken County, South Carolina
A few follow-ups:
1. Wilson’s rude outburst may have brought him criticism, but it also got results. According to the New York Times, “The White House on Friday said it would bar illegal immigrants from purchasing health coverage through a proposed insurance marketplace. . . . White House spokesman, Reid Cherlin, said that the president’s proposals would bar illegal immigrants from purchasing private insurance through the new government marketplace, known as an exchange, and that verification of immigration status would be required for anyone seeking to purchase coverage.” This is what’s known as a strategic retreat.
2. As Christian has reported, the Wilson episode has resulted in a big surge of donations for Wilson’s opponent. According to the Washington Post, it’s also resulted in a very sizable, though somewhat smaller, surge in donations to Wilson.
3. Would there have been less of a brouhaha if Wilson had chosen his words differently. Imagine how much nicer it would have been if he’d shouted, “Balderdash!” Alternatively, he could have said, “Tommyrot!,” “Humbug!,” or “The hell you say!” Or if he’d wanted to allude to his South Carolina heritage, “Fiddlesticks!”