In one of the most extraordinary breaches of congressional etiquette in the history of presidential addresses to Congress, Rep. Joe Wilson (R., S.C.) screamed at President Barack Obama last night “You lie” during his speech on health care. In this video, you can see the surprise on Pelosi’s face who appears honestly and legitimately shocked.
The President had just declared that it is not true that the health plan would cover illegal immigrants and the President immediately looked over to Wilson who can be heard clearly screaming “You lie.”
In fact, Section 246 of the law states:
NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS.
Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for
affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully
present in the United States.
Wilson represents the second district in South Carolina. His actual name is Addison Graves Wilson, Sr. but goes by Joe. He was an aide to Sen. Strom Thurmond. He is best known to many citizens for his crusade against online poker. However, he has also supported such worthy projects as the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, legislation that made safe water and sanitation an objective of U.S. assistance to developing countries.
Within minutes, conservative groups rallied to defend Wilson and this video defense was released calling Obama a Liar.
Wilson apologized after the speech and insisted that the statement was “spontaneous“. He released a statement of contrition and called the White House:
“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. 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.”
Ironically, this is only the latest live mike problem this week for Republicans, here.
It is not that Dems cannot show bad form, but the worst breach of civility came when they booed President Bush in 2005, which is mild in comparison:
This is still far better than what English Prime Ministers have to put up with on a regular basis:
For the full story, click here.
And 817 Veryon’s
I’m having a calculator rebellion! Any who, do the math.
Now I’m going to reboot and figure out why my calc is misplacing decimal points.
Sholts: really? That was your “comeback”?
9 trillion dollars of debt hurts. losing another 4 billion dollars EVERY SINGLE DAY to national debt hurts. China owning the vast majority of our debt hurts. The dollar tanking against all the other major currencies…hurts. 9.7% unemployment and rising…hurts.
You and Wilson can become gay lovers…or kill each other in a death match for all I care. I want the topics that actually effect each and everyone of us directly…to be addressed.
Pardon the bad cut and paste : 4,223 new houses
Adam:
I did not assume you were a republican, I am merely stating that republicans are as guilty as democrats. In some ways more so because they seem to create all this crap.
mespo & JT,
roflmao
Next time I’m in Arizona, I’m buying at least one souvenir T-shirt.
Adam,
I didn’t see you bitching when Bush was appointing his Czar’s (or Bush I or Reagan). The President can appoint people to jobs, some require Congressional approval and some don’t. Get over it. Grow up.
The total current cost of invading a country that didn’t attack so Rotten Dick & George’s family and friends could make private profits is about 980 trillion dollar. Here, let me help you with that . . .
$980,000,000,000.
The Bugatti Veryon is the most expensive sports car in the world. It goes in excess of 200 mph (easily) and has a $10,000 crystal clock in the dash. It costs more than some people earn in a life time at $1.2 million. You could but 816,667 for the cost of the Iraq invasion AS OF TODAY.
The average new home in the U.S. costs $232,100. For the Iraq money, you could have bought 4,222,318 houses. Those would be NICE houses too as that’s the median price.
The average elementary school teacher makes $49,000/year. You could have hired 20,000 teachers.
For a war that EVERY analyst worth a damn from the CIA to the War College said was victory unattainable in that particular theater. Every cogent analysis predicted loss or at best being mired down in a huge boondoogle like we are right now. Bush and the Neocons did this instead of attacking those who did attack us, the Saudis – who we could have stomped the living crap out of and been home in 3 months. But nooooooo, couldn’t attack George and Dick’s business partners now could we? Bullshit. Now “we” (as in the Neocon criminal traitors I want to see swinging in the breeze) spent all our money on propping up Exxon, Halliburton and the rest of the Big Oil fascists while lining their greedy pockets. And in this whole process, they mananged to destroy almost all the good will and moral authority this country once had with allies and foes alike along with our economy. Good job! So let’s go back to the money . . .
$980,000,000,000.
If don’t think that amount of money wouldn’t have rebuilt our infrastructure, made our schools the envy of the world, and provided 1st class world class health care for every single American? You’re a moron.
Grow up and admit you just don’t like him because he’s black. You want to attack him? How about starting with his not keeping his promise to restore the Constitution and the rule of law and prosecute the Bush Administrations for their crimes? Hm? How about that? What? That’d put the guys you back in prison? Just what I thought.
Next time ask your mom before you use the computer to post nonsense.
The problem with most politicians is they have no clue as to what they are doing. As a person that has worked in and around the legislature inside and out for the better part of 25 years, most are only as smart as the people that work for them. Every party has its own Jester by designation or attrition. Some are just so stupid you wonder how they got elected much less a drivers licenses.
You want to see where people really get smart work on Redistricting. These fools become your best friends.
ADAM:
Poor, poor, Adam. Are you related to Wilson? You all sound and think alike. Possible twins? You seem to be doing a good job yourself with character assasination. No other weapon required!The truth hurts/ Doesn’t it?
Byron please do mention the Patriot Act! I was NEVER for it…you ASSume I am a Republican to your error.
The Patriot Act isn’t going away…no. Obama is fully behind it.
Sholts you should probably kill Wilson yourself. Don’t use a gun though as that is way too Republican…cut his throat and watch him bleed out.
Just like Obama is doing to America.
Adam:
one Czar or 34, Obama is only acting on what other presidents have done. Who created this Czar nonsense anyway? I think it might have been Reagan with his Drug Czar. Obama is just taking advantage of existing traditions.
Maybe next time a republican wants to create an extra-governmental authority or bail-out a failing company with tax payer dollars they will have enough sense to look down the road, oh and did I mention the Patriot Act? (Aka the Sometime in the future Neo-Gestapo creation act of 2001)
Lest we forget, this is non-partisan:
http://mediamatters.org/research/200502040014
Rep. Joe Wilson is nothing more than a coward. He attempted to throw a Verbal Shoe directly at President Obama during his address to congress. Wilson is a disgrace to himself, his family, and to the state of South Carolina. His political ambition has peaked. He could never be anything more than a representative. He will never be a president or vice president. Frankly, his IQ is much too low to command such a position. This planned republican Verbal Shoe throwing (“you lie”)was just that, a planned attack. I would not be suprissed if Wilson had pulled out a gun to assasinate President Obama. I strongly suggest that the Secret Service closely monitor the activity of this idiot. He should not be in the immediate area of the president without being closely supervised and monitored by the Secret Service. I believe that Wilson is a threat to the safety and security of President Obama. Wilson should be impeached immediately or forced to resign. Freedom of speech is one thing, but blatant disrespect to President Obama during a major speech is another thing. I have no respect for Wilson.
Obama is doing a horrible job so far. Letting yourselves get distracted because of one emotional outburst of a frustrated Wilson does not change Obama’s performance.
34 Czars? None vetted? None voted into power? The Obama bailout is tremendously less successful than Obama’s own team predicted. I have the chart of Obama’s economic predictions for what would happen with and sans bailout. Sadly Obama wildly underestimated the reality of the situation.
This man who cannot see three months into the future with even a +/- 10% degree of accuracy…knows the math behind healthcare savings? He said that even a savings of 1/10th of 1% would save us 4 trillion dollars. What would an increase of 1/10th of 1% cost us then? Obama claims that the program will be only 900 billion dollars and much of that money would come from reducing inefficiencies in Medicare. So we have one government program that has 100’s of billions of dollars of waste…that you are going to feed into an even larger government program that will be the first government program EVER to have none?
Sorry if I do not believe that load of crap.
Don’t they do this type of thing in Parliament?
I say let them figuratively kill each other and that way they cant make mischief on us.
JT:
A little correcction for you:
Rep. Joe Wilson (Jackass, S.C.)
Mespo:
On behalf of the good people who live at Jackass, Arizona, I must correct the record so not to cast questions over the denizens of Jackass. I am not sure what people of Jackass called people who act like . . . a male donkey but I am pretty sure it is not jackass. Please keep this in mind in any further accusations that a politician is a citizen of this god-fearing, donkey-respecting community.
The guy is an idiot and he had his moment to show the world that he is an idiot. But, he had alot of company last night during the speech because the Republicans were making noise all night and holding up and waving their “plan” or bill. I am a firm believer in Free Speech so I will not join the chorus asking for a censure of this mental giant. He got his punishment by looking like a fool on national TV.
If I were another Congressman, I’d be waiting for this guy when he left the Capitol that evening and I’d teach him a thing or two about respect. Seriously though, this only emphasizes how immature and broken our entire government is. The GOP acts like children and the Dems couldn’t fight their way out of a wet paper bag. It is no wonder our country is so screwed up.
Evolution happens.
Expect fisticuffs to emerge as the fittest rise to the top like cream, and pound the losers into the floor of the new congress.
Survival of the fittest returns:
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/09/change-is-not-option-it-is-must.html
I thought that it would be nice to see what the home front was saying on this matter:
Lawmakers denounce ‘You lie’ outburst at Obama
Democrats and Republicans alike are denouncing Rep. Joe Wilson for shouting “You lie” at President Barack Obama during his speech to Congress, an extraordinary breach of decorum for which the South Carolina Republican swiftly apologized.
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/935620.html
A Brief History of Communism, from Race Mixing to the Public Option
By: Phoenix Woman Wednesday September 9, 2009 9:16 pm
This bit of hypocrisy shouldn’t surprise anyone:
A Texas school which refused to air President Barack Obama’s live classroom address is planning to bus students to see the president.
Did school officials reverse course after realizing Obama’s speech wasn’t political, as conservatives had claimed?
Nope. They’re sending fifth graders to see another president: former President George W. Bush, and his wife, Laura. Bush is speaking alongside several Dallas Cowboys players and prominent Texas business leaders.
http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/09/a-brief-history-of-communism-from-race-mixing-to-the-public-option/