Joe Walsh Apologizes For Calling Obama 'Idiotic,' Stands By Opposition To Jobs Speech To Congress

Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) criticized President Barack Obama for his upcoming jobs speech, saying "there is no reason for him to call a joint session of Congress" during an interview with MSNBC's Martin Bashir on Friday.

"He is abusing his position," Walsh said. "We reserve that for heads of state and visiting dignitaries, presidents in moments of crisis."

“This is a political exercise. This is political theater.”

Walsh attempted to distance himself from his statement in an interview earlier this year that Obama was elected because he is black, but didn't fully back away from his assertion that Obama's race was a factor.

“I think we elected this president because of who he was," Walsh told Bashir. "He was a historic figure. It made this country feel good to elect him.”

“We did not vet him," Walsh continued. "Your profession did not vet him as much we should.”

Walsh has publicly stated that he will not be attending the Sept. 8 speech, saying that he doesn't "see the point of being a prop for another of the president's speeches."

“The president needs to stop the speeches, get out of his office and away from all the White House academics and start talking to real people out there," Walsh said in a statement issued Thursday. "They’re the ones who are going to create the jobs, not White House paper-pushers and bureaucrats.”

At an Illinois gathering earlier this week, Walsh called the president "idiotic" and said he "destroyed job creation systematically for three years."

Walsh told Bashir that he apologized for the statement at a town hall meeting on Thursday, saying he meant to call Obama’s plan to present a jobs speech “idiotic,” rather than the president himself.

"I did not mean to say that," Walsh told Bashir. "That was over the line."

Comments

[peter paulson]

04:20 PM on 09/22/2011

Never apologize, particularly when you're right.

[pbr56]

11:51 AM on 09/19/2011

I have a feeling that a dead beat dad won't get reelected. Who cares what this nut says.

[sackman]

02:33 PM on 09/07/2011

To the seators Durbin and Kirk of Illinois , Will you please talk to this clown about his position . He is an insult to the proud people of Illinois................

[sackman]

02:26 PM on 09/07/2011

Its time to get our country back from these SOBs........................

[Eldo Hill]

01:27 PM on 09/07/2011

Why apologize for something you meant to say the only thing is that you wanted to say the infamous "N" word. He meant everything he said totally disrespecting the president of the United States, take your apology and stick it!!!

[watoos013]

07:50 AM on 09/07/2011

Skippy would be a good name for Walsh. Skip a joint session of Congress, skip his kids support payments. Now if people would skip voting for him.

[eddiefi]

12:20 PM on 09/06/2011

Why oh why does he have to be named Joe Walsh. The James Gang, Barnstorm and The Eagles. He played on the early Michael Stanley albums and made some of the finest solo albums ever. This name deserves better than to be sullied by this crooked deadbeat dad. Can't you change your name to a good bigot sounding name like Ted Nugent or soemthing.

[OLEGAR]

06:52 PM on 09/06/2011

We could rightly call him Joe "WELCHER" Walsh. And he needs to understand "vetting" If he had been "vetted" we souldn't be hearing anything from this nit wit. . .

[angry in ct]

12:51 PM on 09/07/2011

If this guys name was Jimi Hendrix, then I'd really be pissed

[simsum]

12:17 PM on 09/06/2011

Joe's 15 minutes are almost up so he's talking louder.

[lilacluvr]

12:12 PM on 09/06/2011

This Joe Walsh guy won his current Congressional seat by only 291 votes. What does that really about the Tea Party's claim that they won in 2010 with a mandate?

Seriously, Joe Walsh is just making all these outlandish comments to make himself appear to be a bigger fish than the small fry he actuall is.

[lja925]

01:39 PM on 09/06/2011

They thought they were voting for the guitar player. Kinda like the ijots did in SC when they voted for Al Green.

[librldem]

12:12 PM on 09/06/2011

Joe is so behind on his child support he can't even afford a merikan flag lapel pin made in China.

[chriss0114]

12:07 PM on 09/06/2011

Freudian slip from someone who is obviously projecting his own inadequacies

[OLEGAR]

06:54 PM on 09/06/2011

i've often tried looking for them froydian slips but most gals aren't wearin them any more

[bop54jen]

11:57 AM on 09/06/2011

I think that Congressman Walsh needs to remember that we were losing 750,000 per month during Bush' last months in office. I know it's hard for Congressman Walsh, but let's deal with reality!

[OLEGAR]

06:55 PM on 09/06/2011

another of his weaknesses is MATH

[Michael McLean]

11:50 AM on 09/06/2011

Hey Joe, when you gonna pay you child support?

[Shaun Zokaie]

11:44 AM on 09/06/2011

Wow, Joe Walsh of the Eagles is really mad! I guess I would be too if my Maserati did 185 and they took my licens, so now I dont drive.

[flinthfp]

11:36 AM on 09/06/2011

I think Mr. Walsh should sort out his own families issues before he gives advise on how to solve the countries issues !