A class act he is not, but South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson’s boorish behavior during President Obama’s speech on health reform more than earned him his 15 minutes of infamy.
It is understandable that he chose – or as some suggested, was told – to bellow “You lie!” when the President was explaining for the umpteenth time that undocumented immigrants would not be covered under health care legislation. After all, Wilson’s extreme anti-immigrant positions are well known.
His outburst, for which he has half-heartedly apologized, not only exposed Wilson for the uncouth nativist he is, but made clear that immigration is still very much one of the Republican Party’s war horses.
“Congressman Joe Wilson’s outburst is not only a massive breach of decorum,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, “but the latest example of how race-baiting and immigrant bashing have become standard fare for hard-right elements of the Republican Party.”
One has to wonder if Wilson and his ilk are intent on committing political suicide – and in the process taking down with them the entire GOP – or if their prejudices are so deep that they just cannot help themselves.
Brenda Voydatch has battled her ex-husband, Martin Kurowski, over the education of their daughter Amanda since she began home-schooling her in first grade. Last month, a Laconia (N.H.) family court judge adopted a marital master’s recommendation that it would be in the girl’s best interests to go to public school in the 2009-10 academic year.
