Joe Wilson's Son Refutes Claims His Dad May Be Racist...He's In Denial

The State, MSNBC----

(Political experts discuss Former Pres. Jimmy Carter's recent statements regarding the Obama backlash. Mr. Carter firmly believes the current hostility being directed towards Barack Obama's presidency is due to Racism and Racial Fear. In other words just plain Ignorance.

Rep. Joe Wilson's son claims his dad is not a blatant racist who probably believes that African-Americans are not intelligent enough to be the President of our great nation. Poor boy, he's obviously in denial.)

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(Former Pres. Jimmy Carter derides Racist tone against Pres. Obama.)

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(Rep. Steve King defends Joe Wilson’s support for the Confederate flag.)





Wilson's son says Congressman is not racist

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson's oldest son defended his father against a claim by former President Jimmy Carter that the congressman's outburst during a speech by President Barack Obama was "based on racism."

Responding to an audience question at a town hall at his presidential center in Atlanta, Carter said Tuesday that Wilson's outburst was also rooted in fears of a black president.

"I think it's based on racism," Carter said. "There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president."

But Wilson's son disputed that.

"There is not a racist bone in my dad's body," said Alan Wilson, an Iraq veteran who is running for state attorney general in South Carolina. "He doesn't even laugh at distasteful jokes. I won't comment on former President Carter, because I don't know President Carter. But I know my dad, and it's just not in him."

"It's unfortunate people make that jump. People can disagree - and appropriately disagree - on issues of substance, but when they make the jump to race it's absolutely ludicrous. My brothers and I were raised by our parents to respect everyone regardless of background or race."

Carter, a Democrat, said Joe Wilson's outburst was a part of a disturbing trend directed at the president that has included demonstrators equating Obama to Nazi leaders.

"Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care," he said. "It's deeper than that."

Wilson's spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, was formally rebuked Tuesday in a House vote for shouting "You lie!" during Obama's speech to Congress last Wednesday.

The shout came after the president commented that illegal aliens would be ineligible for federal subsidies to buy health insurance. Republicans expressed their disbelief with sounds of disapproval, punctuated by Wilson's outburst.

Tuesday's rebuke was a rare resolution of disapproval pushed through by Democrats who insisted that Wilson had violated basic rules of decorum and civility. Republicans characterized the measure as a witch hunt and Wilson, who had already apologized to Obama, insisted he owed the House no apology.

South Carolina's former Democratic Party chairman also said he doesn't believe Wilson was motivated by racism, but said the outburst encouraged racist views.

"I think Joe's conduct was asinine, but I think it would be asinine no matter what the color of the president," said Dick Harpootlian, who has known Wilson for decades. "I don't think Joe's outburst was caused by President Obama being African-American. I think it was caused by no filter being between his brain and his mouth."

Harpootlian said he received scores of racial e-mails from outside South Carolina after he talked about the vote on Fox News.

"You have a bunch of folks out there looking for some comfort in their racial issues. They have a problem with an African-American president," he said. "But was he motivated by that? I don't think so. I respectfully disagree with President Carter, though it gives validity to racism."

Carter called Wilson's comment "dastardly" and an aftershock of racist views that have permeated American politics for decades.

"The president is not only the head of government, he is the head of state," he said. "And no matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect."



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Sources: MSNBC, The State, Think Progress, Huffington Post, NBC News, Creeypgif.com, Google Maps

US House Votes 240-179 To Discipline Rep. Joe Wilson...A Lesson Well Taught

MSNBC----

US House votes to rebuke Rep. Wilson

(Following his foolishly famous "You Lie!" statement Rep. Joe Wilson has come under fire.)

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(Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., says it's “time to move forward" after Democrats introduce resolution of disproval against him for yelling "you lie" at President Obama. Apparently Congress didn't think so. "Jackass")

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(Congressman Joe Wilson (SC) apologizes for foolishly heckling Pres. Obama last night. "Jackass")

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Bitterly divided over an accusatory outburst — "You lie" — lawmakers voted Tuesday to admonish one of their own for his jarring interruption of President Barack Obama.

The Resolution of Disapproval against Republican Rep. Joe Wilson added to the already-toxic atmosphere of partisanship in the House. Democrats said Wilson's behavior during Obama's speech to Congress last week was an egregious display of disrespect that could not be ignored. Republicans accused the majority party of hypocrisy and wasting the taxpayers' time.

"At issue," declared House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, "is whether we are able to proceed with a degree of civility and decorum that our rules and our democracy contemplate and require."

Wilson, speaking after Democrat Hoyer, refused to back down. "I think it is clear to the American people that there are far more important issues facing this nation than what we're addressing right now." He said Obama had "graciously accepted my apology and the issue is over."

The Office of the House Historian said the resolution, which passed 240-179, marks the first time in the 220-year history of the House that a member has been admonished for speaking out while the president was giving an address. A resolution of disapproval is less severe than other disciplinary action available to the House, including censure or expulsion.

The resolution said Wilson's conduct was a "breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House."

Wilson's "You lie" outburst came as Obama, during a joint session speech on health care legislation, said that illegal immigrants would not be eligible for federal subsidies to purchase health insurance.

The shout drew gasps from other members, and Wilson, at the urging of Republican leaders, called White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel to apologize. But he has resisted later suggestions that he go to the House floor to express further remorse.

"I think that Mr. Wilson could have resolved this himself" by speaking directly to his House colleagues, Hoyer said.

House Republican leader John Boehner dismissed the resolution as a "witchhunt" and a distraction from the health care debate. "My goodness, we could be doing this every day of the week," he said.

The leader of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, initially said it was time to move on to health care and other substantive issues. Republicans agreed. But other Democratic leaders, including third-ranked James Clyburn of South Carolina, pushed for a House vote.

Clyburn, in an interview last week, said Wilson's behavior was "indicative of the combativeness he displays all the time when it comes to politics."

A leading member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Clyburn perceived it as a snub that Wilson held a town hall meeting on health care this summer at a school in Clyburn's South Carolina district — where Clyburn's children attended — without telling Clyburn.

There also have been suggestions that recent harsh criticism of Obama has been at least partly motivated by race. Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat and current head of the Congressional Black Caucus, said that "today is about the civility and decorum of the House." But she added that we "can't sweep race under the rug — racism is still a factor and must be addressed."

A House Rules Committee summary of guidelines for members states that while it is permissible to challenge the president on matters of policy during debate, personal attacks are off limits. House rules note that a member could refer to a presidential message as a "disgrace to the nation" but it would be impermissible to call the president a "liar," a "hypocrite" or say he was "giving aid and comfort to the enemy."

Financial bonanza

Treatment of Wilson's shout was complicated by the fact that it occurred not during floor debate but during a televised presidential address to Congress.

In 2007 Republicans unsuccessfully introduced a censure resolution against Rep. Pete Stark, a Democrat, for saying during debate that U.S. troops were being sent to Iraq "to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." Stark later apologized to his colleagues.

The dispute, by capturing the attention of Republican and Democratic loyalists, has been a financial bonanza for both Wilson and his expected challenger in next year's election, Rob Miller. Each has raised some $1.5 million in contributions since the speech last week.



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