Rep. Paul Broun Asked At Town Hall: 'Who Is Going To Shoot Obama?'

The Athens Banner-Herald in Georgia reports that a shocking question was asked at a town hall event held by Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) on Tuesday. According to the article, an audience member asked the congressman, "Who is going to shoot Obama?"

Blake Aued reports:

Broun's press secretary, Jessica Morris, confirmed that the question was indeed, who is going to shoot Obama? "Obviously, the question was inappropriate, so Congressman Broun moved on," she said.

However, rather than confronting the questioner or condemning the question, Broun instead acknowledged "frustration" with Obama, according to the Banner-Herald. The paper reports that Broun responded to the stunning inquiry as follows:

"The thing is, I know there's a lot of frustration with this president. We're going to have an election next year. Hopefully, we'll elect somebody that's going to be a conservative, limited-government president that will take a smaller, who will sign a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare."

Read the full story from the Athens Banner-Herald.

UPDATE: Paul Broun issued a statement in which he claims he "was stunned by the question and chose not to dignify it with a response."

Tuesday night at a town hall meeting in Oglethorpe County, Georgia an elderly man asked the abhorrent question, "Who's going to shoot Obama?" I was stunned by the question and chose not to dignify it with a response; therefore, at that moment I moved on to the next person with a question. After the event, my office took action with the appropriate authorities. I deeply regret that this incident happened at all. Furthermore, I condemn all statements--made in sincerity or jest--that threaten or suggest the use of violence against the President of the United States or any other public official. Such rhetoric cannot and will not be tolerated.

Two witnesses tell Talking Points Memo that Broun laughed after the question was asked. The Banner-Herald reported that the question got "a big laugh" at the event.

Comments

[JustMe bnMe]

02:42 PM on 03/30/2011

The comment was not funny, no matter who the sitting president is and does not matter how old or decrepid the person that spoke the words. At the the very least the words could be very inciteful. Just the way I see it.

[MiMiThePokerDiva]

11:40 AM on 03/03/2011

Was this old segrogationst arrested for making this statement alone????!!!!

[PishTush]

04:13 PM on 03/01/2011

The headline says "asked at Town Hall" not "asks at Town Hall", meaning he was ASKED a question, not that HE asked it.

[IchbineinBerliner]

03:53 PM on 03/01/2011

I don’t understand.
Why does the headline say that Paul Brown asked that question when he did not say anything like that.
when it was a question/ comment somebody in the audience made.
Is that not false reporting in the headline?

[IchbineinBerliner]

04:07 PM on 03/01/2011

As it tuned out, neither Palin or her cross hairs had anything to do with Gabby Giffords shooting.
So what is your point?
Why making claims that have already been disproven?

[Dallas Fowler]

05:07 AM on 03/01/2011

#unacceptable

[firstcougar1]

08:48 PM on 02/28/2011

Trying to respond to Supersteel but when I try it doesn't take me to your comment. I think that democratic comptroller in NY should have resigned and if he didn't then he should have been fired or recalled. I know what this kook said is not technically illegal and my problem is with Broun laughing and not issuing a rebuttal until three days later when the press started to make a big deal out of it. Glad to know you are not ok with this kind of rheoric.

[Supersteel]

09:18 AM on 03/02/2011

My hope is that he was ust stunned. But i dont know what to make of the laughing. i try to give people the benefit of the doubt.
 
I think everyone needs to take a chill pill.

[firstcougar1]

04:49 PM on 03/02/2011

Agree wholeheartedly with the chill pill idea. Have a good rest of your week.

[Supersteel]

02:55 PM on 02/28/2011

Not sure why no update, but if you google it, his office called the authorities, the SS interviewed the man whom they describe as elderly, he said it was a bad joke, the found no threat and "consider the case closed."

[Turn Right]

11:03 AM on 02/28/2011

Not defending Broun's comments, but where was the outrage when Gabriel Range and Simon Finch wrote and directed the film "Death of a President"?

Seems like its ok when targeted against a Republican and not when its a Socialist. I think its called hypocrisy.

[tenilla]

12:42 PM on 02/28/2011

I know you baggers have been directed to make these false equivalency posts about "Death
of a President" but quit embarrassing yourselves.

The film was made in the U.K. Not all films are made in Hollywood. GWB was president,
and his White House chose not to dignify the movie by acknowledging it. There was no
outrage from the right with the exception of a few rightwing bloggers who misrepresented
the movie at the time and Hillary Clinton, a DEMOCRAT, who said:

"I think it's despicable. I think it's absolutely outrageous. That anyone would even attempt to profit on such a horrible scenario makes me sick." [She had not seen the movie.]

The movie was not widely screened in the United States. No Democrat elected to
local, state, or federal office endorsed the movie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_a_President_(2006_film)

[Turn Right]

10:51 PM on 02/28/2011

I guess I should have been more specific - where was the outrage with the readers of the Huff? There are over 9,000 comments on this post. I didn't read them all, but I'm sure most would have Broun's head.

BTW, you seem a little defensive about the film...

[Patrick Draper]

12:49 PM on 02/28/2011

Right, because we all know that movie caused a president to be shot. Or maybe, not. I'm sure you're not wondering if things which cause people to be shot are different than things which do not cause people to be shot. No, of course not. But whether you can comprehend it or not, a movie shot in a documentary style looking at a hypothetical future after a hypothetical assassination is not necessarily a call or plea for a president to actually be shot.

Sorry to shoot down the ONE example that right wingers like to bring up to deflect blame.

[Supersteel]

02:56 PM on 02/28/2011

Well he had a grenade thrown at him and then recently someone was planning on blowing up his house.

[tenilla]

08:07 PM on 02/28/2011

Oh, be fair! Last night one of the birthers triumphantly posted a link to
a story about W. Va. Democrat Joe Manchin threatening "to take dead
aim at the cap and trade bill."

Apples and oranges are at least both fruits. These feebs cannot see
the difference between a President and a Congressional bill.

[hipocampelofantocame]

06:27 AM on 02/28/2011

Paul Braun is an extremist both spiritually and politically who should be removed by his
constituants from Congress. He makes me afraid for my country, and I am also a physician
who served overseas 1963-1966 and am now retired. I am also a Scot, and I am ashamed
of this man. We have a problem in Congress.

[pbeat]

03:26 PM on 03/01/2011

Yeah, see if an extremist both spiritually and politically will be removed by extremists both spiritually and politically. I'm holding my breath.

[Motorgoon]

05:09 AM on 02/28/2011

This is what our Country has come to. This is only getting attention on a few sites. Where is the outrage? Where is the secret service stepping in here and arresting this guy or recalling this sitting member? This has to stop. The other day I listened to Hannity on the way to work on the radio, not sure why, maybe to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. They don't even have the dignity to refer to President Obama, President Obama. I mean, has it really gotten so low they can't even have respect for a sitting president? And talk about psy-ops, every other word was "stupid", "ignorant", "incapable" and "obamacare". As much as bush was the worst president in history, I don't recollect any media doing this. Why are we as a society not putting our feet down and saying no!

[BeautyAmerican]

06:08 AM on 02/28/2011

They didn't bash Bush because he was right-wing radio's idea of a moist dream. I do remember them spending 8 years lavishing praise on Bush. I'm outraged at the more recent utterance because it's nearly identical to another threat written in San Francisco, about Mayor Moscone. And he WAS assassinated not long after. This comment by an "elderly man" is a threat, and should be treated as such! The "appropriate action" that should have taken place was immediate and public arrest.

[Supersteel]

02:32 PM on 02/28/2011

If you google it, the SS investigated and found no threat. It is not illegal to make a statement that doesn't actively state you are going to do it.

[firstcougar1]

05:33 PM on 02/28/2011

I guess you are finje with this kind of 'joking'. I bet you would not like it if an elected democrat had laughed about someone saying that when GWB was in office. The key word being ELECTED democrat not some left wing pundit.

[lasjazzman]

04:24 AM on 02/28/2011

Tragically, in our current political climate, it is no longer a shock that such a horrific question would be asked at a public meeting - what is a complete shock to me is that Broun reportedly laughed at the question - with others - and did not stop the meeting to immediately and vehemently object to both the question and to the person who asked it! Damage control statements made to the press later mean nothing!! The person who asked the question should have been removed from the gathering, detained and questioned by the President's protection detail, but instead, was likely treated to free beers by the local NRA chapter!

[Supersteel]

02:33 PM on 02/28/2011

If you google it, the person was questioned by the Secret Service, who closed the case as they determine dthere was no threat and it was an elderly man who claimed he made  a bad joke. Braun's office claims to be the one that called the SS>

[lasjazzman]

02:52 PM on 02/28/2011

Thanks for letting me know that, at least! My main point still stands though!!!

[MiMiThePokerDiva]

11:58 AM on 03/03/2011

Just because he was OLD they closed the case.Who has he influenced on that statement alone?! He is a THREAT! They should not have let him go.How many people did he harm when he was young and the minds he is harming NOW!!!

[jilrita]

04:23 AM on 02/28/2011

OK, HP, this headline has changed three times. From He ASKED who...to HE IS ASKED to (back to) HE ASKED. We are not sheeple like those over at Faux. We can recognize the difference and we will hold you accountable. This occurred at times when you were simply HP. Now that you are aligned with A..Oh..L, please please don't try to pull the wool over us. We are smarter than that.

[Raw Ron]

04:13 AM on 02/28/2011

I think we are missing the point. Its not what this person said or even how the congressman reacted to it that's important. What is amazing about this is that a grown man comes to a town hall where a sitting congressman is speaking and he thinks its completely appropriate to ask this kind of question and the audience thinks its funny. This is what the right wing has done to the discourse in this country.

[sobaytransplant]

03:29 AM on 02/28/2011

Oh, sure - typical GOP response. The guy thought it was funny until he realized he was in BIG trouble for not taking it more seriously. These people are only spouting this stuff because they have been INFLAMED to that point by the very people who are NOW presumably "condemning" it. You can’t throw gasoline on a fire and then try to act surprised when it ignites!

[MiMiThePokerDiva]

12:01 PM on 03/03/2011

Exactly what I say sobaytransplant.Look at that supreme court ruling of "hateful speech" as free speech!