First Posted: 09-15-09 09:10 PM | Updated: 09-16-09 12:50 PM
ATLANTA (AP) -- Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst to President Barack Obama during a speech to Congress last week was an act "based on racism" and rooted in fears of a black president.
"I think it's based on racism," Carter said at a town hall held at his presidential center in Atlanta. "There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president."
The Georgia Democrat said the 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, 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.
Wilson's spokesman was not immediately available for comment, but his eldest son defended his father.
"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."
South Carolina's former Democratic Party chairman said that 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."
The South Carolina Republican lawmaker was formally rebuked Tuesday in a House vote divided by party lines. Wilson shouted "You lie!" during Obama's speech to Congress last Wednesday.
Carter was responding to a question submitted Tuesday night at a town hall held at his presidential center in Atlanta.
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The new healthcare plan will not cover illegal aliens? Beg to differ, Mr. President. I was leafing through this:
http://docs.house.gov/edlabor/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf
on page 73 I found this:
"SEC. 202. EXCHANGE-ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS AND EMPLOYERS.
(a) ACCESS TO COVERAGE.-In accordance with this section, all individuals are eligible to obtain coverage through enrollment in an Exchange- participating health benefits plan offered through the Health Insurance Exchange unless such individuals are enrolled in another qualified health benefits plan or other acceptable coverage."
"Individuals" is NEVER defined. I defy anyone to show me the page and line # that says that "individual" is limited only to citizens and green cards. Even funnier, there is NO residency requirement. So, could not someone from Victoria BC or Tijuana just cross the border and apply for it at a US office? If an illegal alien does get coverage, will it also cover his family living in Oaxaca?
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September 16, 2009 -- uclayoda87
How many illegal aliens are currently turned away from an emergency room if they have a real problem? Zero.
Do the hospitals and physicians get paid for these services? No.
Is there an incentive for people who know that they can get free care to buy insurance? No.
How is the government going to enforce insurance coverage for illegal aliens or anyone else who knows they can get free emergency care, without wasting their money on insurance? They can't.
If a person without insurance develops a cancer or needs heart surgery, they will just apply for insurance at the time they develop the problem. Since they can't be charged more or turned away, why wouldn't anyone just wait until a major medical problem develops before buying insurance? When their problem has resolved, then they would just drop their insurance coverage, until the next problem develops.
If you think this system is bad now, wait until they fix it. [And, if you think Health Care is expensive now, wait until it's Free!] With the baby-boomer physicians retiring and the shortage of specialists being trained, there will be a big shortfall in medical coverage long before the 2012 presidential election. ...
Source: The Motley Fool jerryguru69's CAPS Blog
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Anti-illegal immigration group praises U.S. Rep. Joe ‘You lie!’ Wilson
Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee, or ALIPAC, is praising Congressman Joe Wilson, R-S.C., for his outburst during President Obama’s Wednesday night address on health care reform.
Wilson infamously yelled, “You Lie!” when Obama said, “The reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.”
Though Congressman Wilson has since apologized to the president, ALIPAC still claims that Obama is lying about health care coverage for illegal immigrants.
“It is a real shame that the rest of Congress was not on their feet pointing out the President’s lie about illegal aliens in his Health Care plans along with Joe Wilson,” said ALIPAC Preident William Gheen. “When a politician lies to Congress and the public in front of Congress, our elected officials should speak out as Joe Wilson did.”
While the language in the bill that Obama proposed last night is not available yet, PolitFact found that previous claims that all non-U.S. citizens would be provided health care is a “pants on fire” lie, the highest (or lowest, depending on your point of view) rating on the St. Petersburg Times fact-checking site.
So it looks like Wilson, and ALIPAC, are lying about Obama lying. [Be skeptical, be very skeptical.]
Wilson’s outburst looks to have had another more immediate impact on his political future. The South Carolina Republican’s Democratic opponent, Rob Simmons, has raised over $300,000 on the online Democratic political fundraising Web site ActBlue since the outburst.
Our colleague at the Colorado Independent John Tomasic notes that Wilson has received substantial amounts of fundraising money from the health care industry.
“What’s Joe Wilson so angry about?” Tomasic wrote. “He’s paid to be angry.”
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