Hear the shout around the 1:20 mark
It’s official. President Obama has accepted Representative Joe Wilson’s apology.
“Yes I do,’’ Mr. Obama said, in response to a question from reporters during a meeting with his Cabinet Thursday morning. “I’m a big believer that we all make mistakes. He apologized quickly and without equivocation and I’m appreciative of that.’’
Mr. Wilson, as many Americans know by now, is the South Carolina Republican who erupted during the president’s televised address to a joint session of Congress Wednesday evening, shouting “You lie!’’ after Mr. Obama dismissed as false the assertion that his health care plan would cover illegal immigrants.
The congressman later issued a statement of regret, and called the White House to convey his apologies to Rahm Emanuel, the chief of staff, who accepted on Mr. Obama’s behalf. But Mr. Obama’s remarks Thursday were the first words directly from the president on it.
***updated***
I did a little research and there has been some of this before in the chamber from both sides of the aisle:
Bush booed in ’05:
Democrats’ audible disapproval of President Bush’s misleading claim in his February 2 State of the Union address that Social Security will be “exhausted and bankrupt” in 2042 was “unprecedented.”
JOHN ROBERTS (CBS White House correspondent): At a couple points in this address, it looked more like the British Parliament than the United States Congress. I’ve never heard the minority party shout at the president during the State of the Union address. [CBS, post-speech coverage, 2/2/05]
Clinton booed several times:
In addition to the 1993 State of the Union, during which, as Begala pointed out, Republicans heckled Clinton, they also voiced their disapproval in three other Clinton State of the Union addresses, which were presumably attended by then-members of Congress Scarborough and Barr:
- “Clinton’s proposal to expand Medicare to allow Americans as young as 55 to buy into the system drew shouts of “no” and some boos from Republicans during his speech.” [Chicago Tribune, 1/28/98]
- “Only once did they unmistakably and collectively show their disapproval — when Clinton spoke disparagingly of a GOP-sponsored constitutional amendment to balance the budget. Many Republicans hissed and some booed.” [Los Angeles Times, 2/5/97]
- “The upheaval wrought by the Republican election landslide was visible throughout the president’s State of the Union address — from the moment Speaker Newt Gingrich took the gavel to the striking silence that often greeted Clinton from the GOP. At one point, Republicans even booed. About 20 of them left as Clinton went on and on for an hour and 20 minutes.” [Associated Press, 1/24/95]
