Congress, Politics, Society

Wilson Admonished — With Only Seven Republicans Voting for the Sanction

225px-Joe_Wilson,_official_photo_portrait,_colorRep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina, has achieved the ignoble distinction of being admonished by the House after refusing to apologize on the floor for his outburst during the presidential address of President Barack Obama. What is astonishing is that only seven Republicans voted to uphold the House rules and to admonish their colleague in a 240-179 vote.


What is equally striking is that twelve Democrats voted not to admonish a member for screaming “you lie” at the President of the United States during a formal address on the House floor. Moreover, five Democrats simply voted “present.”

Most notably, Barney Frank did not vote for the measure and instead voted “present” while Dennis Kucinich voted against the measure. The only good news for Wilson is that Pete Stark voted for the measure and Wilson is thus not someone Stark would bestow his novel method of showing respect, here.

Here is the language of the resolution:

Raising a question of the privileges of the House.
Whereas on September 9, 2009, during the joint session of Congress convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 179, the President of the United States, speaking at the invitation of the House and Senate, had his remarks interrupted by the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson; and
Whereas the conduct of the Representative from South Carolina was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, during the joint session of Congress held on September 9, 2009.

The twelve Democrats voting against admonishment were:

Michael Arcuri (NY)
Bill Delahunt (MA)
Gabrielle Giffords (AZ)
Maurice Hinchey (NY)
Paul Hodes (NH)
Dennis Kucinich (OH)
Dan Maffei (NY)
Eric Massa (NY)
Jim McDermott (WA)
Gwen Moore (WI)
Gene Taylor (MS)
Harry Teague (NM)

The seven Republicans who voted for admonishment were:

Joseph Cao (LA)
Jo Ann Emerson (MO)
Jeff Flake (AZ)
Bob Inglis (SC)
Walter Jones (NC)
Jim Petri (WI)
Dana Rohrabacher (CA)

The five Democrats who voted present were:

Eliot Engel (NY)
Bill Foster (IL)
Barney Frank (MA)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH)
Ike Skelton (MO)

This is the first formal admonishment of a member for misconduct during a presidential address in Congress. House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio called the resolution “piling on” and urged a vote against the measure.

For the full story, click here.

65 thoughts on “Wilson Admonished — With Only Seven Republicans Voting for the Sanction”

  1. Chief:
    (1) I am a Georgia native.
    (2) Approximately 2,500 residents live in and around my home town.
    (3) “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

  2. John 1,

    do not use such big words. What are you one of them smart assed city slickers. Come on down and visit us real soon. We make accommodations for the people of our desire. You are invited to visit real soon.

  3. All I can say is….RIGHT ON Joe for having the guts to say what most of the “informed” people of this nation wanted to say. Keep it up and one apology is MORE than fair.

  4. I want to amend my statement. Whenever the President proposes anything that abrogates the Constitution, there should be protest. This is what should have happened with Bush. We see the results of failure to stand up to the empirial executive. The Congress should not allow the president to believe he may violate the rule of law. It is time for the representatives of the people to hold themsevles and the president accountable to our Constitution. They may do so with a mininmal disruption of decorum by using the T-shirts. T-shirts are a visual protest. They should be followed by refusal to fund or go along with any unconstitutional actions by the president (of which there are already way too many).

  6. A president lied. I am abashed as the claim. The only presidents that have lied is Clinton and Obama. I call them as I see them.

  7. As far as I can tell this is where Joe Wilson went off the rails by violating his own institution’s rules:

    “As a guide for debate, it is permissible in debate to challenge the President on matters of policy. The difference is one between political criticism and personally offensive criticism. For example, a Member may assert in debate that an incumbent President is not worthy of re-election, but in doing so should not allude to personal misconduct. By extension, a Member may assert in debate that the House should conduct an inquiry, or that a President should not remain in office.

    Under section 370 of the House Rules and Manual it has been held that a Member could:

    refer to the government as “something hated, something oppressive.”
    refer to the President as “using legislative or judicial pork.”
    refer to a Presidential message as a “disgrace to the country.”
    refer to unnamed officials as “our half-baked nitwits handling foreign affairs.”
    Likewise, it has been held that a member could not:

    call the President a “liar.”
    call the President a “hypocrite.”
    describe the President’s veto of a bill as “cowardly.”
    charge that the President has been “intellectually dishonest.”
    refer to the President as “giving aid and comfort to the enemy.”
    refer to alleged “sexual misconduct on the President’s part.”
    =================================================================

    Rep. Wilson was notably foolish.

  8. Carrie,
    Are you related to Bill L? If you would do some research you would discover that the CIA has lied about torture among other issues. What “names” did Pelosi and Obama call taxpayers? Are you referring to teabaggers, or tenthers or birthers? Did you see the names that the 9/12 Glen Beck protesters were calling Obama? Has Obama called taxpayers communists, racists, or Hitler? Has Obama compared taxpayers to a child molester? These are all names that Obama has been called by citizens and lawmakers alike. Would you like to reconsider your opinion?

  9. Pingback: Joe Wilson to be Sanctioned - Conservative Republican Discussion Forums

  10. The reason this whole thing is a joke, is because Nancy Pelosi and Obama have been calling the American taxpayers names and saying the the CIA lied. So when will Pelosi and Obama apologize to me……a registered Democrat who voted for Obama in 2008? Never, right? I’ve never seen an adminstration so high on themselves that they are basically spitting in the face of those who voted for them. Guess what, in 2010 and 2012, I along with a lot of other Democrats will get to vote them out of office. I’m sooooooooo looking forward to it!

  11. lost in Louisiana 1, September 15, 2009 at 8:29 pm

    I cant believe it. A Republican from Louisiana, severing the strings of the puppeteers that control him and showing gumption by voting on the side of reverence and respect for civility. Maybe there is hope for LA after all.
    *****************

    I had to reread you screen and your statement. It is amazing that you feel lost in LA. Really if you did, a true democrat is Fiscally Conservative and socially liberal. You will see that the GOP agenda was selling snake oil while increasing the national deficit. In what Jackass, Donkey or democratic administration have you seen tax cuts while increasing spending?

  12. He should take the admonishment. Now I hope that Congresspeople in touch with reality will object, through the use of T-shirts saying: “I Do Not Consent” when Obama proposes the sham tribunals at Bagram, when he proposes indefinite detention, when he askes for funding for the empire’s wars, when he, in any way violates our Constitution and the will of the people of this nation. And those Congresspeople should be prepared for admonishment or jail, because these issues must be protested no matter what the consequences.

  13. Bill L.,

    You shouldn’t come on a legal blog and post that nonsense. Section 246 of the House bill says:

    “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”

  14. I cant believe it. A Republican from Louisiana, severing the strings of the puppeteers that control him and showing gumption by voting on the side of reverence and respect for civility. Maybe there is hope for LA after all.

  15. “Everything Obama denies being in the bill, IS in the bill.”

    Bill L., Boston,
    You’re wrong, but you’re too lazy to know it. Just keep listening to Rush and he will tell you what to believe.

  16. More vocal and visible challenges to the Executive would have served us well for some years now.

  17. Wilson should not have apologized for anything. Obama lied, he continues to lie, and will not stop until he gets the bill he wants. Everything Obama denies being in the bill, IS in the bill.

  19. Let me see, if some democrat had done this to Cheney or Bush, which would have been more likely the truth. Do you think that the same result party switched would be the same.

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