THE NEW VILLAGE RADIO  

Show Notes

• Archived Blog Post

  Date / Time: 9/11/2009 12:21 AM UTC

  Who Heckled Obama?
  

  How nasty has the political discourse in Washington become? During his speech to Congress Wednesday night, President Obama defended his health-care plan, saying that he had never proposed providing coverage to illegal immigrants. “You lie!” shouted Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina, prompting Obama to briefly pause in the delivery of his speech and eye his heckler. No doubt emotions are often heated during these joint sessions with the president and members of Congress, but decorum typically rules─except for Wednesday, apparently. In an interview with CNN afterward, Sen. John McCain trashed Wilson’s heckling and urged him to apologize. “Totally disrespectful,” McCain said. A little more than an hour after the speech, Wilson did just that, issuing a statement of regret. "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," he 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 and conveyed his apology to Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.
  
  • Tags:
  • JOE WILSON SHOUTED I
  • Permalink