Clyburn: Joe Wilson "Ought To Man Up" And Apologize In Person (AUDIO)

On the Bill Press Show Thursday morning, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) blasted fellow South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson (R) for heckling President Obama the previous evening.

Clyburn said Wilson's written apology was "the cowardly way to do it," and that the Republican lawmaker "ought to man up" and apologize to the president, his colleagues and the people of South Carolina from the well of the House of Representatives. Clyburn also suggested that Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) apologize to the president on behalf of his caucus.

"I don't think there's ever been this kind of venom or insult directed at the chief executive of the United States of America when he's standing in a joint session," Clyburn said.

As for Wilson himself, Clyburn said, "I share counties with him ... these are people who may have political conservatism but they do have good manners, and I do believe that the first sign of a good education is in fact good manners."

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) also appeared on the show and agreed that Wilson's apology not "adequate," because apologizing wasn't punishment enough to discourage such rude antics in the future. Wilson, Specter argued, ought to be censured or rebuked for the outburst. "If you can do that to the president and get away with it, it's open season," Specter said.

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Comments

[Ladybugz]

01:48 PM on 09/15/2009

And what do you think it was like when the government was fighting over the constitution? They finally had to take a break and go to "Prayer" so they could come back and draft the best piece of paper this country has ever had. Oh, I forgot, we are not allowed to "Pray" anymore, and we call ourselves free to express ourselves,,yea right,,oh no,,that comes from the "left". And lest we forget the other side of the coin here,,,Pres Obama is 1/2 white to, so I don't think anyone is racist at all.

[tantrictim]

01:31 PM on 09/11/2009

http://tiny.cc/mlu6B

The controversial congressman has been a member of Sons of Confederate Veterans. Max Blumenthal, author of the just-published Republican Gomorrah, asks: Did he remain so even after it became a hate group?

[carolo]

10:43 AM on 09/11/2009

Joe Wilson was not at this joint session to represent SC but to represent himself. He showed lack in character by yelling out as he did at the Commander in Chief. I don't care what side of the aisle you sit, some constraint and respect should be shown. All the paper wavers were nearly as bad. They acted like a bunch of uneducated rednecks at a town hall meeting. If Wilson was actually smart enough, he could have understand that illegals were not part of this healthcare bill but then, someone with brains wouldn't have yelled at the President to start with.

[TomDegan]

06:22 AM on 09/11/2009

Isn't Joe Wilson an hoot and a half? It truly is an amusing thing to behold. The extreme right wing is having a collective, massive nervous breakdown. They just can't come to terms with the nasty little fact that a black guy is the most powerful human being on the planet. It really is kind of funny - to a point.

Here's what's happening, boys and girls: The so-called "party of Lincoln" has been forever exposed as ideologically bankrupt and they are in the process of implementing their "scorched earth policy". In other words, if they have to go down (and down they are going) they're going to bring the rest of the country down with them. That is what is happening. If you think the right wing has lost its collected marbles, as Al Jolson used to say, "You ain't seen nothin' yet". There is violence down the road. Count on it.

Sound paranoid? Stay tuned.

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY

[XME]

01:56 AM on 09/11/2009

It's impossible to man up when you have the mental maturity of a 5-year-old.

[weatherwaxx]

01:42 AM on 09/11/2009

It's impossible for someone to 'man up' when he's functioning at the level of an ill-tempered 8-year-old.

[Shirley Nicholson]

01:34 AM on 09/11/2009

I COMPARE THIS TO THE MAN THAT TOOK OFF HIS SHOE AND THREW IT AT PRESIDENT BUSH ONLY HE THREW WORDS. TO ALL MY FAMILY IN SOUTH CAROLINA I HOPE YOU REMEMBER JOE WILSON'S NAME WHEN YOU GO TO THE POLES NEXT TIME.

[weatherwaxx]

01:39 AM on 09/11/2009

The Poles are either in Poland or the Arctic and Antarctic. Go the polls instead.

[Shirley Nicholson]

01:22 AM on 09/11/2009

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE DURING THIS PRESIDENCY THAT HAVE NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. LOOK AT ALL THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE PRESIDENT ADDRESSING OUR SCHOOL CHILDREN. I DON'T RECALL ALL THIS WHEN GEORGE BUSH OR RONALD REGAN DID THE SAME THING. IN FACT WE HAD TO DO A CURRENT EVENTS ASSIGNMENT AFTER. WHO WOULDN'T WANT THE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.A. SPEAKING POSSITIVE THINGS INTO THEIR CHILDS LIFE OR RATHER WHY. WHAT IS THIS TEACHING THIS GENERATION. HOW CAN WE WIN WARS ABROAD WHEN WE ARE FIGHTING AMONGST OURSELVES. TAKE A LOOK AT THE DISTRICTS THAT DID NOT SHOW THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH. WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT US. SOME THINGS WILL NEVER CHANGE. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE HATERS. AT THIS POINT NOTHING SURPRISES ME ANYMORE. WHAT NEXT? I PRAY THEY WILL FRISK MR. JOE WILSON THE NEXT TIME HE ATTENDS A SESSION WHERE THE PRESIDENT IS IN THE SAME ROOM. WHO KNOW'S IF HE WAS SICK ENOUGH TO YELL OUT SUCH A THING WHO KNOW'S WHAT ELSE HE MAY BE CAPABLE OF? VERY DISREPECTFUL. IS THIS WHAT WE WANT OUR FUTURE LEADERS TO HEAR?

[weatherwaxx]

01:40 AM on 09/11/2009

Please, for the sake of all our eyes... the Caps Lock Release Key is your friend.

I agree with you, but your post is very hard to read.

[JeffMaylor]

11:56 PM on 09/10/2009

What does this Clyburn character know about being a man?

[EWeiss]

01:28 AM on 09/11/2009

Are all conservatives like you and Joe Wilson?

[weatherwaxx]

01:40 AM on 09/11/2009

Probably more than you or Wilson do.

[Joe Viglione]

11:29 PM on 09/10/2009

It would be nice to see some respect for the Office of the Presidency. This President is working hard to get us out of the mess of the eight years before he took office. Republicans demanded respect for someone that I do not believe won the election fairly, they wanted respect for someone who most likely didn't earn it. Then, when someone DOES earn it, the Republicans act sophomoric and disruptive. And if we don't like it they call us names for putting a spotlight on their wrongful conduct.

[mama4obama]

10:17 PM on 09/10/2009

Not only did he dishonor the President and the House , he broke the military code of conduct and should be punished for that as well. I am from SC and I am sick of all the clowns, Graham, Deminted, and Blow Wilson. not to mention, Hiking the Appalachian Trail Sanford. Good Gracious would they all just go away!

[JeffMaylor]

11:58 PM on 09/10/2009

Oooooooooooo Girl, you all angry and such!

[William Young]

10:08 PM on 09/10/2009

Co-sign!

[CTtransplant]

08:44 PM on 09/10/2009

We've got to keep up the pressure until a health care bill is signed!

Folks, do not forget the marches on September 13th!!!

http://marchforhealthcare.com/events/

If not now, when? If not us, who?

Kennedy was one of our greatest champions of health care reform. He carried the torch for a long time...and now it is up to us to continue to carry it!

Our elected officials in Congress receive health care mostly paid for by us tax payers, yet many are trying to make it impossible for us to purchase an affordable plan of our own :

While many of us are struggling to afford medical insurance/medical bills.
While Congress people try to stop healthcare reform.
While Congress people accept large contributions from lobbyists to prevent health care reform.

Please sign these petitions - and by all means, spread the word! Thank you!

http://www.petitiononline.com/PubOp676/petition.html
http://www.democrats.com/honor-ted-kennedy?cid=ZGVtczQ0MTA5OGRlbXM=
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5649/t/4922/content.jsp?content_KEY=2763&tag=hk1_typ-e1

[BrickSykes]

08:42 PM on 09/10/2009

Maybe Wilson is just doing a little pre-secession war dance! He probably figures that after South Carolina, Alaska, Georgia, Alabama and Texas officially secede from the Union and form their own country he might become Attorney General or even Commandante of the "RedSloMerican Republican Army, Inc!" (This Army would have to be in the private sector, of course, so the government can beat them out of their retirement when the time comes.)

Brick

[jws2346]

08:27 PM on 09/10/2009

Man up, you've got to be kidding, he wouldn't even make a hick up