I'm sure the base will just lap this up. But it's a pretty stupid argument, given, you know, reality and video evidence. And it's about a week late, to boot. If they thought it was so disrespectful (uppity) for the President to say what he said, why didn't they immediately speak out, instead of trying to get Wilson to apologize.

But I'm sure PoLimDrudge will dutifully push this. Along with CNN: "Are Joe Wilson's supporters right? Should President Obama have said what he said? We'll be talking about this in 'Raw Politics' ". Sigh.

Except for a core group of lunatics, this kind of message just makes the Republicans look bad to the American people. Keep it up, boys. This is what got you in the minority in the first place.

Can't believe it took them a full week to think of that.

funny. i thought congress had better and more important things to discuss...yet, thats all republicans seem to be talking about.

The GOP will be alright. This is all they have to offer. In a few weeks, they will be licking their wounds when Obama signs into law a new healthcare reform bill that includes PO

Gohmert, King, Pence, et al., suggest that Obama started it all by calling them liars first.

To be clear, President Obama only used the word "lie" in relation to the death panel nonsense.

With regard to the illegal immigrant issue, his words were: "There are also those who claim our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false. The reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally."

The President did not call elected officials pushing the "health care reform will cover illegal immigrants" line liars. He said that such claims were false, which (a) they are, and (b) is keeping with the decorum of the House.

This "He started it!" is exactly what they will claim if they succeed, heaven forbid, in provoking an assassination attempt.

They'll say what he did was the equivalent of shouting fire in a crowded theater and it's too bad (or maybe actually kinda good) and the main thing is he provoked it.

Don't let them get away with any of this. They are nothing but bigots and seditionists, trying to overturn an election by every means available to them and they are treasonous. Carter got in their faces; we can too.

This is a standard, foul, right-wing authoritarian tactic:

- Don't say "I'm bigoted against gays and don't want them to have equal rights," say "There's a homosexual agenda and they started it and I'm only fighting back in self-defense!!!"

- Don't say "I want America to be a fundamentalist Christian theocracy," say "There's a War on Christmas and the SPs are out to get us and they started it and I'm only fighting back in self-defense!!!"

- Don't say "I want to smear John Kerry and call his bravery and service into question so he loses the '04 election" say "John Kerry came back from Viet Nam and spoke out against his fellow soldiers, so he started it and I'm only fighting back in self-defense!!!"

- Don't say "I hate liberals and I have no respect for the rule of law and if I don't win, I'm taking my ball and going home and pouting," say "Obama and the socialists are out to take away our freedoms and DESTROY AMERICA!!! They started it and I'm only fighting back in self-defense!!!"

Always claim the other guy started it -- that way, no matter how ruthless or extreme you get in your rhetoric or your actions, you can still project a sense of arrogant self-righteousness -- even if you threw the first punch.

These people truly are scum.

Whoever "started it," Obama was there to give the speech. The members were there to follow the normal rules of decorum. If they didn't like what he said, that's what the Republican response is for.

Yo Gohmert!

I got yo Bill right here! I my pants!

(I couldn't help my self.)

I just came in to say that Steve King is the stupidest fucking guy on the face of the planet.