TPMDC

Best Behavior? Republicans Say They Expect No Disruptions Tonight

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Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)

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Will there be any Republican theatrics tonight during President Obama's State of the Union address? The question is buzzing around Capitol Hill.

TPMDC asked House Minority Whip Eric Cantor if he has given Republican members any direction about how they should behave tonight given Rep. Joe Wilson's shout of "You lie" during President Obama's last address to Congress in September. He said he hoped there would be no outbursts.

(Though Cantor (R-VA) told me last time around that Republicans would be "attentive." As we all know, that didn't happen.)

For his part, Wilson (R-SC) says he will be a "gentleman" tonight.

Instead, Wilson will give a "live" response on Facebook following the address, he told supporters today on Twitter.

The DCCC has already challenged Wilson (R-SC) on whether he'll pull another stunt. Rep. Todd Tiahart (R-KS) joked that it was a fundraising boost for Wilson, according to the Wichita Eagle.

Republicans weren't shy about criticizing the president before his speech, however.

"Any time a president comes to Capitol Hill it is an historic occasion," Cantor said, adding a caveat that he hopes Obama has "listened and learned" that his agenda is not supported by the American people.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) said he agrees with "80 percent of what [Obama] says and disagrees with 80 percent of what he does."

He also said the president's spending freeze proposal has "a whole lot more to do with headlines than deficit lines."

Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform offered a mocking State of the Union "Bingo" which includes a "government subsidized free space" and Obama favorite "let me be clear" as spaces on the board.

Comments (9) | Join the Conversation!

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January 27, 2010 2:53 PM   

Why even promote anything Grover has to say. The guy is a weasel of the nth degree.

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January 27, 2010 4:25 PM    in reply to mike from Arlington

Jane Hamsher will be playing Grover's Bingo.

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January 27, 2010 3:03 PM   

"Any time a president comes to Capitol Hill it is an historic occasion,"

Except when it's a Democratic president. Then it's time for shouting, waving placards, twittering and blackberrying.

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January 27, 2010 3:06 PM   

Why wouldn't some jerkoff make a scene tonight?

Wilson experienced no consequences, and even raised money and his profile by his disgrace.

We will have the flaccid leadership of Reid and Pelosi to thank when the Prez gets hit with a water balloon or spitballs tonight.

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January 27, 2010 3:20 PM   

OMG, they may have learned from a mistake. This could be the beginning of the end for us, given that Democrats seem to be doing their best to emulate Louis XVIII ("he learned nothing and forgot nothing").

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January 27, 2010 4:42 PM   

Presumably, Obama has 1 - 3 canned responses ready if some earnest teabagger(s) should bring it on himself/themseleves to cry out that the Commander is Chief a dominitrix or something.

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January 27, 2010 4:45 PM   

They didn't expect Wilson's outburst, so why would the GOP leadership "expect" any outbursts tonight?
Someone will heckle.

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January 27, 2010 5:35 PM    in reply to jeffgee

Seriously, what do you expect them to say? "We're planning on having 10% of our caucus make racial remarks and the rest to roll on the floor and howl like dogs?"

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January 27, 2010 5:34 PM   

Anyway, nobody cares about Obama's empty platitudes. What the country does await with breathless anticipation is Gov. Sarah Palin's analysis of his lame effort on FOX News tonight. Tune in!

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