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Wilson Opponent Rob Miller Raises $1 Million Since "You Lie!" Incident; GOP Says $700,000 For Wilson


SC-02 Candidate Rob Miller (D) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)

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House '10, Joe Wilson, SC-02

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Iraq War veteran Rob Miller, the Democratic candidate against Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), has officially passed the $1 million mark in fundraising in the time since Wilson's "You lie!" outburst during President Obama's speech to Congress.

The Miller campaign has just made the announcement of his big haul, which came from over 25,000 individual contributors. "We will put this generous support to work to restore common-sense leadership to Washington, create jobs, and stand up for men and women in uniform," Miller said in the press release. "If there was ever a time to put bickering and name calling aside and be part of the solution, it's now."

Wilson defeated Miller in 2008 by a margin of 54%-46%, which was much closer than Wilson's previous races. A new poll has given Miller a one-point edge in the wake of the "You lie" incident, with 44% to Wilson's 43%.

Still, it's a long time between now and November 2010, and Wilson should probably be able to take in quite a bit of cash himself. It's going to be a fun race!

Late Update: The NRCC announced today that Wilson himself has raised over $700,000. So there's definitely a market out there for "You lie!"

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33 comments

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mcc

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September 11, 2009 6:54 PM   

How much did Joe Wilson raise, though? AP cites the National Republican Congressional Committee as claiming that Wilson had raised $700,000 in the time that Miller had raised $875,000.

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September 11, 2009 7:30 PM    in reply to mcc

We all know the Associated Press has NO credibility. It's highly unlikely that resluglican ass raised $700K. He's days are numbered and he and the GOP know it.

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September 11, 2009 7:40 PM    in reply to mcc

I call bullshit on the NRCC numbers. We'll know soon enough when the quarterly numbers come out.

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September 11, 2009 7:44 PM    in reply to apodaca

I agree. Also keep mind the editor of the Associated Press is a Karl Rove ally.

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September 11, 2009 7:49 PM    in reply to ru4862

I thought the editor was karl rove using an alias.

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September 11, 2009 7:30 PM   

Some people have wondered who Miller is and what his positions are. Here is his website from last year's campaign: http://www.robmiller2010.com/wordpress/?p=52

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September 11, 2009 7:38 PM   

I hope Wilson is censured, but it looks like they may go for the less onerous "reprimand." According to this opencongress article only 31 Congressmen have ever been censured, 22 Representatives and 9 Senators:
http://www.opencongress.org/wiki/Expulsion_and_censure

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September 11, 2009 7:47 PM   

It would have been nice if the freaking democratic caucas was pointing out the king's lies and prevented a war that killed hundreds of thousands of innocents. I would love to have heard "You Lie" when the liar in chief opened his pie hole. I just find it sad that the repukes are stirring up all this garbage to prevent people from getting healthcare and to line the insurance company's profits and no one spoke out against war and killing women and children. I really have a hard time grasping this alternate reality. Do these people have no shame?

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September 11, 2009 8:13 PM   

If Wilson really raised $700,000 he wouldn't be basically begging for money on a youtube video. He reeks of desperation and somebody who raises $700K to his opponents $1M isn't desperate.

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September 11, 2009 8:46 PM    in reply to Walter Mitty

well the youtube thing came pretty early, its not like he released it after they claimed they raised 700k.

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September 11, 2009 9:44 PM   

This might pay off Miller's debt. Maybe!
Thank-You Joe Wilson for calling Obama a liar. That he is. This isn't the first time. Illegals will be covered. They will not have to pay the health care plan tax nor will they be fined for not having health care. They will be treated anytime at any emergency room and we will pay for it. On July 30th the Dems voted down a bill by Rep. Nathan Deal. The bill would have required health care providers to use a verification program for health care services. Again,it was voted down. So the identity of illegals will not be questioned as it would be in any other country for a person seeking health care or as it would be in their own country. So by voting this down Democrats know very well illegals will be covered. LIARS! Debate Obama on this. Let's bring this issue to the forefront. Thanks, Joe Wilson!

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September 11, 2009 10:51 PM    in reply to riffenberg

Would you please note your source (cite on proposed bill) regarding assertion that illegals will be covered in the PROPOSED HCR Obama endorses?

There is another legislation already in place for years that mandates all who seek emergency care cannot be denied.

i.e. If individual (child or adult) comes to Emergency Care and is ill with TB, it is not in the best interests of any for this person to be denied treatment.

If you do not support mandatory emergency care for all, then you must go thru legislative process to change existing laws. Again, this is not part of the PROPOSED HCR. In fact, the proposed states clearly that illegals cannot receive any financial aid for this - but perhaps can purchase own insurance without any funding assistance from US Government Public Funds.

Thank you.

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September 11, 2009 11:52 PM    in reply to Aunt Sam

The rule about emergency rooms is part of the long-entrenched Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), which forces every hospital that receives any federal funding (e.g. treats Medicare patients, so that's almost **every** hospital) to take all comers to their emergency rooms, irrespective of legal status and of ability to pay, and to at least stabilize their condition before discharging them. (Note that EMTALA's provisions apply to **all** patients, and not just to Medicare patients.) It's a large unfunded mandate and terrible public policy, but, as Aunt Sam says, it has nothing to do with the current bills.

The House bill HR3200 does indeed say that "undocumented aliens" can't receive health-insurance subsidies. But without mandated and specific enforcement provisions, namely the use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements [SAVE] program, illegal aliens will, for sure, get the subsidies BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THINGS WORK.

You doubt this? Then explain why upwards of seven million illegal aliens illegally hold jobs in the U.S.. It's the same phenomenon -- it's against the law, but the law has no teeth. (For the case of employment, the program that needs to be made universal is E-Verify.)

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September 12, 2009 8:15 AM    in reply to paul137

A relevant point that paul137 and no conservative will point out: EMTALA was signed by Ronald Reagan. It just goes to show the level of extremism in today's Republican Party.

Anyway, you assume there won't be any kind of enforcement (required SSN, etc.), but again, you're just making an assumption, using doubt to spread fear and paranoia. This level of detail (i.e., what will be required on subsidy paperwork) usually isn't included in bills and is usually worked out by HHS, and if it were, you guys would be howling about a 30,000 page bill. I think most reasonable people would assume (correctly) that an SSN will be one of the things required to apply for subsidies.

Regarding the prospect of instituting the sort of rigorous verification method that anti-immigration extremists want, we tried it with Medicaid. Subsequent studies found that there were few undocumented aliens receiving benefits. However, thousands of eligible citizens lost their health care coverage, and the government spends $100 on administrative costs for every $1 of fraud prevented.

The GAO report also found that the rules -- initially projected to save the federal government $50 million and state governments $40 million in fiscal year 2008 -- "are likely to cost federal taxpayers significantly more than they generate in savings" because of higher administrative costs (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 7/24).

That is insane. You are right that, inevitably, there will be some fraud. However, illegal immigrants will not be LEGALLY PERMITTED to receive subsidies (the original claim put forward by conservative until the facts forced them to revise their claims into your current, highly esoteric and frankly dumb argument), and at the least, they will have to supply stolen SSNs among other forged documentation on basic insurance paperwork.

The conservative canard that undocumented aliens will just be freely and willfully given health insurance is flatly FALSE and that is what you guys were arguing until your lying asses were called out on it. Now, you're reduced to arguing that a tiny percentage of illegal immigrants might be able to defraud the government with enough effort, but that's a separate issue and one that can't reasonably addressed without vastly inflating administrative costs and putting thousands of Americans at risk.

If that's the debate you want to have, bring it on.

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September 12, 2009 8:23 AM    in reply to paul137

Anyway, just to illustrate what a disingenuous moron you are, let's have some fun with the logical structure of your argument:

According to you, if a bill won't prevent a prohibited action 100% of the time, it implicitly supports it.

None of the bills signed by Bush during his eight years in office would have prevented old women from being murdered 100% of the time. Therefore, Bush and the Republicans support murdering old women.

None of the bills signed by Bush during his eight years in office would have prevented dogs from getting hit by cars 100% of the time. Therefore, Bush and the Republicans want to hit dogs with cars.

In your defense, arguing like a deranged idiot is kind of fun.

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September 12, 2009 7:50 AM    in reply to riffenberg

I'm enjoying watching the perpetual evolution of this right-wing talking point since its initial claims were debunked. We've gone from giving subsidies to undocumented immigrants (something most people are opposed to) to allowing anyone to buy insurance at full cost and not allowing people to bleed to death (something most people, once including Ronald Reagan, support).

If this is the terrain you guys want to fight on, bring it on. No one but the most delusional tea-bagger is going to buy into your quadruple-spinned, thrice-equivocated definition of insurance coverage.

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September 11, 2009 10:43 PM   

To the NRCC I say: "You lie!"

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September 12, 2009 1:31 AM   

Pres. Obama is one of the best and most prolific lier to ever be president. He is so slick and clean, if you question him you are a racist, peckerwood and as van jones would say A%#$*$L.
But at least this story covers pages that could have been telling the truth about community organizing ACORN style. You know what, TPM is out of touch with the rest of the world. Why?
This weeks Friday nights Whitehouse Obama's Policy Dump:
Cencus bureau cuts ties with ACORN !!!
But just keep your heads in the sand, you wont be missed in the real world.
Two ACORN tax and prositution aka job counselors fired in DC and today two more two more found in New York and Obama has to look at them too.
But he never lies...

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September 12, 2009 7:55 AM    in reply to hawaiian

The flood of low quality trolls is the best indicator that Obama kicked ass on Wednesday night. The good news is that you guys will finally get mental health coverage under the reform package.

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September 12, 2009 2:14 AM   

exactly, paul137. The bill states it will not give insurance to illegals, but has no verification and amendments have been shot down to add verification of citizenship. Is a SSN too much to ask?

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September 12, 2009 7:54 AM    in reply to justsomeguy283

No, it's already presumed that most paperwork will require an SSN, as virtually all insurance and federal entitlement paperwork already does. Usually, this kind of detail isn't outlined in the legislation, and since you guys are already crapping your pants about the length of HR3200, one would think you wouldn't want it stretched out to 20,000 pages.

Once again, you guys are harping on a non-issue because today's Glenn Beck conservative simply is not smart enough to make the conservative argument on legitimate policy issues.

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September 12, 2009 7:15 PM    in reply to justsomeguy283

Do you believe that every citizen has a SSN?

"Verification" methods that are likely to result in *eligible* people being denied care had damned well better get shot down.

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September 12, 2009 2:19 AM   

exactly, paul137. The bill states it will not give insurance to illegals, but has no verification and amendments have been shot down to add verification of citizenship. Is a SSN too much to ask?

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September 12, 2009 2:19 AM   

This was such tasteless act on the part of Wilson. The democrats should leave it alone, and let him destroy himself. From the moment that Pelosi starts talking about censure, it looks silly too.

Take a look at this blog post

http://tuftsroundtable.org/blog/21st-century-sagas/343-playing-politics-with-joe-wilson

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September 12, 2009 4:42 AM    in reply to shabazz89

Yes, and the next time Obama gets up to speak, four or eight of the louts will get up and yell that he shouldn't be such a fascist/socialist/Nazi/anarchist and as recently celebrated even on here, they "want their country back."

Censure the fuck. Then take him down.

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September 12, 2009 9:05 PM    in reply to shabazz89

I dunno. I think making the Republican members of Congress vote on a rebuke is a good idea. They claim to want bipartisanship? Fine. Prove it. I want to see them eat the words, "If you're not with us, you're against us" and "criticism of the president is tantamount to treason".

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September 12, 2009 10:21 AM   

It will be interesting to see not only the donation total for Wilson...but exactly WHO donated...I will bet a nickle it was from other Conservative Legislators PACs and the RNCC, not voters!

To say that it was a stunt, is a plausible idea, but I don't know if that can be proven...the only thing that will actually count is how the voters in SC respond next year.


Now all the Wilson supporters need to go to your faux grassroots tea party.

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September 12, 2009 4:26 PM   

As Eric said, there's a market for "You lie." $1m progressive dollars have gone to Mr. Miller to get revenge on Mr. Wilson for boorish behavior. Mr. Miller seems like a nice enough person and has nice friends. He's also a deficit hawk, btw. I don't think this is money or attention well spent, but feel-good impulsive and crowd-like behavior on our part. Let's spend the next million on funding pro-hcr adds and the next 10 million on holding freshman Democratic seats. Frankly, Wilson/Miller is like the Next Big Thing in retailing. A shiny new cause.

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September 12, 2009 6:45 PM   

No more Mr. nice guy from the general public, who must demand that E-Verify becomes a stable, in-perpetuity federal immigration enforcement tool for everybody? No half-measure, but full implementation across the country. For new workers and those who have been payroll forever. Why has it taken so long to coordinate this computer illegal immigrant recognition software? The answer is evidently politicians who have been manipulated by campaign money, special favors from lobbyists. They are like a Monarchy buying and selling favors for distracting the unknowing public from strong enforcement, from the border line and enforcement in the working locations throughout our nation. Significant pieces of law have been reduced to weakened, insufficient laws that do nothing for the American people. The stimulus package was compromised, with no terminology to reduce illegal workers from applying for jobs in construction and other industries.

To me this is premeditated and likewise with public access to health care, because there was no restrictions to identify illegal immigrants in the package. Until yesterday the Democratic committee members realize they had been discovered and added amendments blocking illegal persons from applying, by running their names through Social Security. It's common knowledge that illegal immigrants receive free treatment in emergency hospitals, which have for decades have been exploited for any minor ailments. The main conspirators within the Democratic leadership are Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada and Nancy Pelosi House Speaker. Both represent states of mass illegal immigration. Reid for his abandonment of the American worker may soon be ousted from office? He was the main contender in the near disintegration of E-Verify. On one hand Democrats saliva over millions of extra votes if another Blanket Amnesty is enacted, while the alternate party status quo are wanting to keep an unceasing supply of illegal labor.

Running scared Pelosi and Napolitano have changed sides and displaying a different attitude towards the millions of jobless Americans, whose work has been appropriated by foreign labor. In many cases large companies have clearly knowingly hired cheap labor, in placement of citizens and legal residents. In ICE raids its positive proof that mega- businesses built their labor force on foreign nationals? Yet the majority of companies isolated themselves from major penalties and only the lesser management was punished. E-verify would have remained non-existent if it was not for the adamant pressure of bloggers comments and articles on the internet that enlivened public attention.

Believe me when I say the bombardment of American voices over the switchboards in a harassed Washington, made a extraordinary difference? THEY ACTUALLY LISTENED and the Special interest organizations couldn't even delay the courts, in ordering the en-masse contractors and sub-contractors from obeying federal law. Years of neglect by previous administrations on both sides of the aisle, has allowed the unregulated droves of foreign illegal aliens along with families into our neighborhoods. TODAY! RIGHT NOW! We must have millions more bona-fide Americans calling this number 202-224-3121 in the muck hole at the Capitol, really do have the ultimate power of changing things.

For me health care reform is a priority because family members have suffered too long under the umbrella of shady insurance companies, as being declined of pre-existing condition was a factor in my daughter’s coverage dying of cancer at an early age. But any kind of public health care must not be rationed and must not give access to people who should never entered our country illegally. E-Verify a composite of the SAVE ACT must—NOT--be devalued by the corrupt politicians in the Democratic Party, nor the 287 G. cities, county and state police training to question and apprehend foreign nationals. In conclusion, the President wants to push another path to citizenship for those who came here through the back door? Awarding people for wrongdoing is not in my book?

If it's anything like the 1986 Simpson/Mazzoli bill it was overloaded with fraud and ended up costing taxpayers billions. New immigrants must come in orderly, signing documentation that they will not be public welfare charges. Without mitigating circumstances anybody who violates this law must be deported.It makes more sense, if such legislation exists in DC to only approve entry visas, for new immigrants with heavily vetted credentials of highly skilled engineers and professional career individuals. After all, they are unlikely to become an unemployed welfare recipient? The 1986 immigration law was intentionally engineered from the beginning, but already contains important factors in enforcement of laws.

Strengthen the same 1986 laws with amendments, instead of starting again. This legislation is already on the books? The truth is that it’s not broken, but heavily under funded from the beginning and bloated with fraud. Guest worker programs and special visas for skilled tradesman has remained a nemesis. This includes fraudulent partnership of businesses entities, attorneys in hiring agricultural workers for the fields? Many have lied to the government authorities and who have been instrumental in its corrupt notorious character. If new guest workers programs enacted by a Nancy Pelosi's AGjobs bill are eminent, the applicants must be carefully screened with the knowledge that working visas on expiring, that those individuals must return to their original place of residence. That they cannot qualify for a legal resident visa, nor can America anymore accommodate their family members with chain migration?

Another anomaly is the border fence? It was—NEVER BUILT—to Rep. Duncan Hunters original specs? His short fence expanse in San Diego remains a strong classic example of following the law. Currently along our international border we have a single line fence, not a two tier fence, with a no-mans land for patrolling border patrol vehicles in between. The previous administration shall ever be haunted by the fact they installed a virtual barrier in many places, with malfunctioning cameras, sensors, obsolete vehicle barriers that could easily be maneuvered around, that cost millions of dollars in taxpayers backing. Expenditures to support illegal immigrants through corporate welfare, over generation would leave a trail of hundred dollar bills from Earth to the Moon and back again. We need to repair our collapsing infrastructure, stop the erosion of bridges, tunnels and dams. Even our water supplies are compromised by the irreversible course of OVERPOPULATION

Federal legislation must be written to correct and heavily fine states that promote Sanctuary Alcoves such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. Warning them that no funding will be appropriated who violate federal law, instead of purposely looking the other way.
The majority of these enforcement laws have been weakened, many left to rot in a dormant state at the National Archives. Immigration laws have been compromised time and time again by lobbyists offering favors to our public servants. Facts not fiction can learned at NUMBERSUSA & JUDICIAL WATCH.

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September 12, 2009 7:17 PM    in reply to Brittanicus

Well, it keeps you off the streets, anyway.

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September 13, 2009 1:58 AM   

I am telling you friends and neighbors, that this is nothing. This o not the focal point.

I went to wedding tonight where the bride was a Republican operative (very low level), and I was immediately identified as the Obama supporter and heckled and cornered at one of the three open bars. At which point I began asserting my position as a Democrat and with facts.

It didn't matter. It didn't matter to these people that George did X or caused Y. They just don"t care. Seriously, facts do nothing to them. They are impervious to facts. Impervious. I am telling you this, and I mean it--you absolutely cannot reason with these people. you can"t. You just can"t. They will not process it. No more than a lactose-intolerant person cannot process a gallon of milk, these people are utterly and completely impervious to facts. Completely. Absolutley. I am serious. You may as well try rationilizing to zombies. Their minds are made up. Obama is a socialist. Forget everything. He is a socialist. Boom, done. Period. Done. He is a Muslim who hates America and he is a socialist destroying America.

I saw it. I SAW it, with my own eyes.

We can't beat these people with reason.

We can't beat these people by being pussies.

Bipartisanship is an elusive, feckless dream.

This nation will be destroyed if they win influence. Destroyed.

I was a middle-of-the roader, but tonight opened my eyes.

They want to remake this nation as they see fit. Sarah Palin is not a joke to them. And we must take them seriously.

I am telling you: they are above mockery; they are above ignoring them; they are above reproach; they have no shame -- no shame at all.

We must fight them at every point. They are true terrorists. they hate America, or at least, what Americas means.

Kill them. In the marketplace of ideas, we must kill them.

I mean it.

Sleep is death.

Ignorance is death.

Passivity is death.

Fight them now.

Fight them hard.

Fight as if your life depends on it. Because it does.

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September 13, 2009 10:34 AM   

It's funny, Wilson's opponent has gotten $1 million in donations, yet the other day CNN's TOP HEADLINE was Wilson receiving something like $200,000. Their top headline, meanwhile other newsorgs were discussing 9/11 anniversary and such. Funny how that works. CNN is a rightwing parrot.

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September 13, 2009 5:47 PM   

For Joe Wilson, this should be a moment of remorse, not a time for fundraising. He doesn't get it.

Until now, I didn't think we needed to censure him, but his eagerness to keep pushing this, to get ink over it, and to raise funds from his disgraceful conduct all suggest censure is appropriate.

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