Republican Rep. Joe Wilson's heckling of Obama sparks fundraising flood to his Democratic opponent

In eight years of George W. Bush's presidency -- despite huge differences on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and contentious debates over torture policy, No Child Left Behind and immigration reform -- no elected official ever heckled the president of the United States when he addressed a joint session of Congress.

But last night, as President Obama was making the case for his healthcare reform initiative, 62-year-old South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson called the president a liar. To his face.

It happened when Obama was rebutting the myths about healthcare reform, including the shibboleth that the package will allow benefits for illegal immigrants. Obama assured the viewing audience that the rumors were false.

"You lie!" shouted Wilson.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi looked stunned. First Lady Michelle Obama, watching from the gallery, shook her head back and forth. And Republicans like Arizona's John McCain, calling the heckling "totally disrespectful," immediately called on Wilson to apologize.

Wilson did call the White House to apologize. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, reportedly livid over the breach of civility, took the call. Then Wilson put out a statement saying, "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."

But the apology did not stop a flood of donations to Wilson's likely Democratic opponent in 2010: Rob Miller, a Marine Corps and Iraq war veteran who lost to Wilson by 8 points last year and is eager for a rematch. Miller quickly put out a statement saying Wilson's behavior "exemplifies everything that is wrong in Washington. Instead of engaging in childish name-calling and disrespecting our commander-in-chief, Joe Wilson should be working towards a bipartisan solution."

"Joe Wilson" quickly became the most searched term on Google. Ditto Twitter. And soon enough, the money started pouring in. ActBlue, which bills itself as the clearinghouse for Democratic action, says it has raised more than $100,000 for Miller, and counting.

Of course, some conservatives are hailing Wilson as a great hero. Red State is urging backers to pony up to Wilson's campaign. They're also flogging Utah Republican Robert F. Bennett for applauding when the president bashed politicians (former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's name was not mentioned but you could kind of hear it in the air) who inspire fear over mythical Obama death panels.

And throughout the speech, House GOP leader Eric Cantor texted on his BlackBerry, and several Republicans waved sheets of paper at the president, offering reform suggestions.

Meanwhile, Wilson's official House website has been overwhelmed. "Due to exceptionally high traffic, this site is temporarily unavailable," says a notice. "Please come back shortly."

-- Johanna Neuman

Top photo: Rep. Joe Wilson. Credit: Reuters. Bottom photo: Republicans wave ideas. Credit: Getty Images.

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Comments

[Delaware Bob]

Time for bickering is over, obama. Get rid of the illegal aliens! They are destroying our health care system! Get rid of all waste in medicare and medicaid! In the census, find out exactly how many don't have health insurance. Figure out the cost. See where we stand on the budget. If that is in good shape, pass some healthcare for those who don't have coverage until they get a job. Any problem with that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSe3C5vMafM&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_ZnX9JRo5M&NR=1

Want more links to the costs of illegal aliens? Let me know. I got hundreds!!!

Wilson did say he was sorry. I think it was sincere.

[Jean]

I guess it depends on which web report you read but it has been reported that the Democrats in fact did "boo" President Bush often during his speeches. I do believe that it was disrespectful for Rep Wilson to heckle President Obama, but there is clearly a double standard here.

I think emotions are running rampant in Washington. Obama will not sit down and talk to the Republicans and yet he expects their respect. Can't have it all ways!!!

The speech was too long and nothing was specific, same ole stuff. Too bad he had to take a swipe at Sarah Palin too. If President Obama would make it clear exactly what he wants in the Health Care Bill rather than giving vague remarks, perhaps the public wouldn't be drawing their own conclusions. I think he and the Democrats have been caught off guard by the length the public has gone to learning exactly what is in the bill. It is difficult to keep up with what they have in the bill and what they say is in the bill.

[WasaDem]

Wrong! Democrats booed President Bush during the 2005 State of the Union Address.

It was worth seeing that ridiculous fake look on Pelosi's face!

[paus]

This just shows the class and character of the modern day GOP clown. They have turned into a bunch, of bible-thumping, facist thugs. Barry Goldwater must be spinning in his grave. Whatever happened to my grand old party of yesteryear?

[Carol Hegarty]

You are a prefect example of the problem in this country. Even if you disagree with Obama your actions last night were OUTRAGEOUS!! I think it is questionable that you can handle being in public office. You should consider stepping down. You are an embrassment to the country....

[Judy McNamara]

I am so disappointed and saddened by Rep. Joe Wilson's behavior, as well as some of his Republican peers around him, behavior. I cannot believe that anyone would be that disrespectful to our President as he addresses the Houses and our country! Rep. Wilson should immediately give his notice, and return to private life. There is no place in our society for people who have absolutely no respet or manners for the highest office in our country.
What has happened to us? People have no manners and no clue anymore as to how to act in public! Guns out in the open around other citizens, and the President? A man leading opposition who profited for years and years from the Health Industry and now he claims he knows the fix and appears on CNN where he finally gets a good beat down questioning by Rick Sanchez! What is happening?
I am so saddened by this and embarassed that we are, as a country, moving into an arrogant time that will surely defeat any good that may come from anyone trying to put country above their personal choices! I hope he either resigns or losses the election coming up. He does not deserve to represent anyone!!

[SDman]

We have spent near a trillion dollars in Iraqi, no problem, we continue to spend 300 million dollars a day there killing men, women and children over a lie. We invaded that country for no reason err.. oil? Every ones a hero though. Not a word about debt or deficits! And we are still spending like mad for killing!
But for our citizens to have some health care opponents say no, it adds to the debit?
All of the other top industrialized countries of the world offer their citizens free health care. Many of their health care systems are better than what we have here.
Were in the good old USA people go to the emergency room for health care at $800.00 a visit verses $100.00 if they went to the doctor. The government picks that tab up, you. Plus if you need to go to the emergency room you are going to be less well cared for because of overcrowding and tired staff.
Now we are slaves to the boss, the company, for if we leave we can not afford any health care. My company keeps saying how lucky I am to have them keeping health insurance costs down but they offer smaller raises and more out of pocket expenses, and higher deductibles which is a cut in my paycheck.
Unemployment benefits is a government run program, I suppose we should do away with that also. How about farm subsidies, tobacco subsidies, defense (offence) subsidies like to Grumman and Locked Martin and Boeing Aircraft and the list of corporate subsides goes on and on and on?

[Almost Angeleno]

The right has truly become the party of The Unhinged.

Could it be coincidental that Joe Wilson's biggest campaign contributors come from the health insurance industry?

[Sarita]

This was disgraceful. My parents were devout Republicans who would be horrified at this type of behavior if they were still living. They acted respectfully even when they were in disagreement and taught me the golden rule. Perhaps this was because my dad was a Marine and they had both lived through the Depression and WWII. While I do not share their political idealology, I do share their sense of fair play and respect for others. Perhaps Joe needs to re-evaluate his understand of Family Values and Christianity!

[Ken McGee]

" (former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's name was not mentioned but you could kind of hear it in the air)"

"You could kind of hear it in the air"? I must've missed the class in j-school where it's okay to report things you kind of heard in the hair.

[Jason]

Hey Johanna Neuman, how long have you been writing for The LA Times? Everywhere I turn this morning I read and hear about hecklers during one of President Bush's SOTU speeches. I mean, are you seriously that much in the tank for Obama you choose not to see the truth? Stop acting like this is a first and PLEASE stop acting like Obama is the choosen one and should never be called out when he is blattenly misleading the public. I hope you edit or pull the bias article, thank you

[Gary Swingle]

You clowns should do a fact check before making the statements in your opening paragraph that the Democrats never heckled George Bush. They were the first and they were ten times worse than a single Republican Congressman. Multiple Democrats were heard at consecutive State of the Union speeches heckling Bush. By the way, I am a registered Democrat.

[snider]

Oh how quickly you forget, when it serves the liberals. State of the Union Address 2005 Dems booed Bush!!!!!!!!!

[Michael Ambrose]

Joe Wilson, you gotta love em'. If Republicans keep handing us gifts like this we need to throw them a party. A going away party. For soon we will not simply have a majority, we will OWN Capitol Hill. He and Cheney should hook up and have their own little pity party. Sorry guys, you are on your way to being an embarrassing footnote in the proud history of this great nation.

[M A in LA]

Rep. Wilson has revealed himself as a catalyst in the uncivil discourse of the important national discussion on health care. He really could be cited as inciting much of the disruptions at townhall meetings. He has proven himself to be childish, out-of-control, and a cog in the wheel of this important discussion.

I don't care what his problems are, I don't care about his emotions, and I certainly don't care what else he has to say. He doesn't care about me or any other American. He is a liability to every American needing a sound resolution to health care reform.

We can disagree and still be respectful. This is not the British House of Commons. This man must go now.

[jUNE]

While Joe Wilson is right, he needed to use another venue to say what he thinks. This administration is going headlong into giving our most precious birthright - citizenshp- to millions of criminals. As soon as we are shoved into government health care, the immigration debate will begin. I don't know if the politicians care at all about Americans losing jobs to illegals, children being molested by illegals, illegals driving drunk and killing innocent people, commiting felonies, etc. but if gets their supporter's votes or payoffs somewhere, they're all for it.
This matter could be stopped immediately, but there is no will to do it.

[Xoro]

"In eight years of George W. Bush's presidency -- despite huge differences on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and contentious debates over torture policy, No Child Left Behind and immigration reform -- no elected official ever heckled the president of the United States when he addressed a joint session of Congress."

...But don't you wish they would have?

Hey, we may not have stopped the wasting of hundreds of thousands of lives and trillions of dollars turning the US into an international laughingstock, but *at least we didn't heckle the President*. Leave it to the Democrats to make a virtue of their impotence.

Wilson may be a buffoon and his move may backfire, but I'll bet his constituents didn't send him there to be a stage prop for an Obama victory lap. I salute him for doing his job. I hope the Democrats are taking notes for the next time they find themselves the opposition party.

[swf]

Van Jones was right about the current crop of Republicans. Wilson and the idiots waving paper continue to prove his assessment correct.

[Young Atheat]

Who is actually lying, is a simple thing to check - which I expect our news media to do, since I don't have time to read thousand page bills. But absent that, I believe the President.

[Molly]

Why do you want YOUR 10 commandments on my tax paid buildings when you can't stop the lying. I am talking about these two lies: death panels (no there are no death panels)
health care for illegal immigrants (we already pay with higher premiums because they are flooding emergency rooms)

So if the tea er I mean douchebaggers please embrace your own command and stop spreading lies or face an eternity in hell.

[Harry]

I believe that while the remark by South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson was inappropriate at the time I also believe that he is right about Obama wanting to include the illegals in this health care scheme.

As for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi she is no angel herself shouldn't be sitting there with her mouth hanging open pretending to be stunned.

[Debbie]

The outburst was NOT acceptable. The Sgt at Arms should have called Wilson out of the chamber!

The apology was weak at best.

If the legislator cannot control his emotions during a speech then he is not in control of his emotions at all. It begs the question if the legislator is fit to serve in Congress.

I also noted that Cantor was sitting there on his blackberry the whole time. Again this was disrespect. Not as bad but this type of behavior has got to stop!

[Ron K]

LA Times, YOU LIE! The Democrats booed and heckled Bush during his 2005 State of the Union address. Now it's off to find out where I can donate to Joe Wilson.

[steve]

He apologized. Its over.

[FLOYD MARTIN]

Like "Joe Wilson" is the only Heckler to have ever have heckled A president?
And since Wislson is from SC and the President is Black that had to be racism, no doubt about it!

I suggest you go back in time and see all of the heckeling that went on when Bush addressed Congress!
NO APOLOGY EVEN MENTIONED THEN?

"JOE WILSON" did make a mistake, he should have THROWN A SHOE at the President then the Democrats
would have rallied around him! They sure rallied around the last guy to throw a shoe at the President!!

This Obama Care plan does cover all illegal aliens! There is nothing in the plan that says
they are not covered! (READ IT!)

Floyd in Florida

[richard]

Rep. Joe Wilson is an ignorant, racist weasel that should resign. Although
he apologized later, deep down he is not sorry.

[peggy roth]

i can not believe what i am seeing with reguards to the republicans and their behavior towards this administration. i am an independent, and actually after this election and the behavior and the language used by the gop, it will be a cold day in hell when i would ever vote for any existing republican politician. i keep waiting for someone in the gop to step up and speak out about the viral language and behavior, but everyone seems to be drowning in their own self interest. and not the interest of this country and its people.

[Frank]

September 10th, 2009 1:07 pm ET
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
I salute U.S. Representative Joe Wilson for his conviction, and most importantly for his courage in expressing himself during Obama's speech; and stating what many of us only wish we could say if we had the opportunity and courage to do so. I intent to donate to his reelection campaign because we need more people like Congressman Joe Wilson, who has the courage to "call out" other politicians when they attempt to mislead the general public through their twisting of words. We all know that the current Health Care bills being discussed in Congress, while specifically stating that non-legal immigrants will not be entitled to "free" health care, lacks an enforcement mechanism to carry out the so-called restriction stated in the proposed bills. So, let us not kid ourselves, President Obama is not being completely honest when he says that illegal immigrants will not receive “free” health care.

[rob]

so the guy got a little carried away. He apologized, it could happen to anyone. We need more passion. I wish the practice of standing ovations every three seconds would stop. That is probably the most exercise most of them ever get. The problem is they want to tell us what the "American People" "Want" and the reality is they do not have a clue. They want what their parties want and tell them to do.

[swf]

Send in the duds. One by one, the Republicans trot out these turkeys to electrify the base. How about California Assemblyman Mike Duvall (R-Yorba Linda)? He fits their (double) standards on family values.

[peter derano]

wilson was RIGHT
Obama IS A LIAR, A RACIST AND A SOCIALIST PIG

[Jason]

Figures, I question your journalistic integrity and you delete my comment. How can you call yourself an objective reporter when after I read a few more of your articles liberalism seeps from your words. When the 2012 election gets close and Obama is way behind in the polls, I hope that the moment the thought "How can I help Obama win?" comes into your head you realize you're a hack and drop your head in disgust.

[puciret]

It strikes me as odd that for 8 years the Congress put up with the shortcomings of an illiterate Commander and Chief and never heckled what must be considered the worst disgrace this country has ever known; yet when proposals are made to help unify our country and heal some of the existing inequities they are booed by the Right Wing. This only enhances the truth that this country is run not by the people but corporate puppets disguised as representatives of the people. When will the people wake up and realize our needs are being marginalized in favor of corporate greed.

[Jim]

Do we expect any less from the party of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann?

[Melvin]

It's one thing for the common person to have such childlike outbursts at public discourse events, but coming from a national elected official, it is quite an embarrassment. I hope he resigns, or gets defeated astoundingly in the upcoming election in SC. Melvin

[Patriot]

not shocked at all about time some one called Obama out on this health care bill at some point the Demos are going to wake up and hear what mainstreet americans are saying before its to late and the country is lost to the far left. 2010 elections are going to be very interesting.

[J Reece]

Sorry to inform you professional journalists at the LA Times, but 30 seconds with Google reveal the Democrat-appointed Congressional Research Service says illegals WILL get coverage, since there are no enforcement provisions and Nancy Pelosi has explicitly blocked any enforcement amendments. Joe Wilson is right. Obama is wrong. Though since Obama probably hasn't read the 1000-page bill perhaps his wrongful statement shouldn't be characterized as 'lying'.

[fra0909]

And these people want to lead the USA! Disgusting! I just become an American Citizen. Over the last few months I studied a great deal abut the fine men that started this county. They did not all agree. They came from different backgrounds and ideology to form this union. They would be mortified at Washington right now. Those people who disrespected the president last night, not just stupid Joe but all of them should be kicked out of Congress. They hold the highest seats in the land; their behavior showed they are not qualified to do so.

[j-Dub]

A racist response from a racist congressman whose ignorance is only surpassed by those who voted for him (for 5 terms no less).

[Alfred T.M. Kader]

This is what the Republicans is all about - the disrespect for the rule of law.

[Matt]

Bipartisan solution? How can that happen? Obama has refused to speak to Repubs and refused their input"the thanks but no thanks memo". In fact, Nobama has not spoken one-on-one to ANY repub since he hit office as he refuses all requests for meeting with repubs. Nobama is a liar, and is now playing centrist when he's anything but a centrist and anything but bi-partisan.

[LPO]

Maybe Mr. Wilson would like to lead South Carolina to once again secede from the Union (it was the first to do so at the beginning of the Civil War.)What is it about the SC climate that produces so many hot heads over the years?

[Brenda]

If Rep. Joe Wilson thought he was being heroic, only to himself. What's in a mans heart comes from deep within his rotten soul. How can the world respect the United States and they see and hear the filth that comes from a person who claims to love his country, took a oath to represent the people and bring shame on his state. If he is a parent, I hope his children don't follow his example. As a representative of the state of SC, he's just a bully, and if that was suppose to be a joke, guess what, the jokes on him. He needs to learn how to keep his big mouth shut when his brain is hollow and empty. Shame on him . Im sure his parents taught him respect, and he refuse to listen . Children play games, adults don't. I didn't see any high fives last night. I'm sure when he look around he was certainly feeling lonely.

[Yvonne]

I would like to make my comment read and read right. First I support President Obama. I'm a product of the insurance or what's left after 10 years plus. What They paid and didn't pay for my Husband who was working for the Goverment for 20 years of his Life. In the time he past I have lost my home, not pay my taxes, lost my job and can not get another job because of poor credit. I hope that this insurance will help someone so that 10 years later it will not be a reminder on their credit. American you need to listen.

[Diane Nash]

LA Times is incorrect about heckling! In George Bush's 2005 address to the combined Congress, several Dems boo'ed Bush when he said that Social Security, if left as is, would be bankrupt by 2042 (ish). How dare you report a lie. You are in the toilet right along with Obama and his administration

[colly chidi]

Americans, are funny people. Does your so called democracy mean outright disrespect to consituted authority.

I guess willson must have been under an infulence.

[mike braith]

I am a registered Republican, but I will be voting Democratic next election because of Joe Wilson.

[Karl]

If a country sentence's a man to jail for throwing a shoe disrespecting a President. Then Wilson should be jailed for doing the same. I see no difference except Wilson should know better. This is what happens when a country is still living in the 19th and early 20th century and it festers so much, it eats the inside of them and it is blurted out as Wilson did.

[rey]

He's a hero for heckling, and a loser for apologizing.

[RetiredElizabeth]

Thank You Joe Wilson, and God Bless You for Speaking Up For We The American People.