Rep. Joe Wilson: Heckling Obama
What a South Carolina congressman accomplished by shouting “You lie!” to the president
Rep. Joe Wilson listens to Barack Obama's remarks on health care after shouting "you lie" when Obama referenced illegal immigrants in his speech.
(EPA/Corbis/Mike Theiler)
When Rep. Joe Wilson (R, S.C.) yelled “You lie!” at President Obama during his health-care speech, said Dana Milbank in The Washington Post, “the nation’s rapidly deteriorating discourse hit yet another low.” But Wilson’s outburst, in response to Obama’s assertion that his plan would not cover illegal immigrants, was “only the most flagrant” of the House Republicans’ “appalling” antics—boos, hisses, and less-show-stealing outbursts such as “Shame!” (watch Wilson heckle Obama)
Wilson “deserves censure” for his conduct, said John Podheretz in Commentary. There’s “no excuse” for interrupting the president while he’s speaking to a joint session of Congress. That said, Wilson “is about to become a folk hero.”
To whom? Democrats? said Alex Koppelman in Salon. Wilson’s “disrespectful” outburst “is a gift to the White House.” He quickly apologized to Obama, but “the damage has already been done.” One of Obama's points was that some GOP critics are more interested in attacking him than in fixing health care—maybe responding like a rowdy “bunch of town hall protesters” wasn’t the Republicans’ best response.
Since Obama wasn’t addressing the outburst-friendly British Parliament, that’s probably true, said William Jacobson in Legal Insurrection. But it’s also not clear that Wilson was wrong. Since Obama hasn’t yet released a plan, he’s “technically correct” that his plan doesn’t cover illegal immigrants. But the House version of health-care reform, with some exceptions, doesn’t explicitly exclude illegal aliens from all coverage.
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53 Comments
Posted by Jan W. Stenhouse, Thursday, September 10, 2009, 8:06 am I am writing to Honor the one SC representative that had the courage to speak out in opposition to Obama to his face. I know this was considered inappropriate for the time and place HOWEVER, I say, God Bless Joe Wilson!!! He spoke for me and for many MANY Americans. We should NOT have a system that provides free HealthCare for illegal aliens. This HR 3200 Bill does provide for that. Joe Wilson was RIGHT. Shame on YOU for bashing this passionate American Citizen.
Posted by Jan W. Stenhouse, Thursday, September 10, 2009, 8:13 am I am writing to Honor the one SC representative that had the courage to speak out in opposition to Obama to his face. I know this was considered inappropriate for the time and place HOWEVER, I say, God Bless Joe Wilson!!! He spoke for me and for many MANY Americans. We should NOT have a system that provides free HealthCare for illegal aliens. Illegal aliens have no right to health care. They are criminals and should be deported ... period. This HR 3200 Bill does provide for illegal citizens. Joe Wilson was RIGHT. I support him.
Posted by Kevin, Thursday, September 10, 2009, 8:15 am H.R. 3200 does not contain any restrictions on noncitzenswhether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanentlyparticipating in the Exchange. Republicans put forward an amendment to enforce keeping illegal immigrants from HR3200 health care benefits.Democrats killed it in a party line vote in the ways and means committee.The democrats say they won't cover illegal immigrants in their plans, but they killed the only means of enforcing it.Obama and the Democrats are in fact LYING.Indeed, Thank You Joe
Posted by K Williamson, Thursday, September 10, 2009, 8:17 am Apparently preventing any illegal alien from slipping through the health care cracks is more important than providing health care for the millions of uninsured American citizens. That's real Christian. I swear today's conservatives are such clowns. At least Ronald Reagan pretended to be compassionate.
Posted by Ernie Sandoval, Thursday, September 10, 2009, 8:40 am It's good to see that SC retains its premier status as the Land of Horses Asses and leading horses ass, Joe Wilson, who's outburst was nothing more than a dangerous buildup of horse manure from which he is made.
Posted by Mark A. Wright HMC(SS),USN,RET, Thursday, September 10, 2009, 8:54 am God bless Joe Willson. The President of the United States lied all through that speach and finally someone in congress had the spine to call him on it.The program WILL funds free, taxpayer funded health care for illegals. The program WILL in a backhanded way fund abortionss with taxpayer money. The plan WILL eventually FORCE everyone onto the taxpayer funded plan because it forbids private insurers to write new policies after taxpayer plan goes into effect.... And the plan will add over 200 BILLION to the debt. Obama LIED.
Posted by Gary, Thursday, September 10, 2009, 9:08 am Well stated K Williamson. We gotta start raising the bar somehow. Funny we didn't hear all this hoopla about losing freedoms while repugs were shoving through the Patriot act.
Posted by Paul Rohrer, Thursday, September 10, 2009, 9:26 am Would any of you conservatives have cheered a Democratic Congressman if he had shouted at President Bush during one of his speeches to a joint session of Congress? I have no problems with your opposition to Obama's health care plans, and I have no problem with your claim that he was lying. What I do have a problem with is your doublestandard, that you would allow your side to act in ways you wouldn't accept from the other side. Anyone who works by such a doublestandard, left or right, is a blemish on the face of America.
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