Joe Walsh Blames Empty Stomach For 'Don't Blame Banks' Rant

U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) had an interesting explanation for flying off the handle during a recent meeting with constituents: he was debating on an empty stomach.

The Tea Party favorite was caught on tape screaming at constituents during a "Cup of Joe" event held in the Chicago suburbs over the weekend after some participants criticized big banks for their role in the financial collapse.

After one attendee grilled Walsh about the lack of regulation which ultimately allowed banks to bet against their own customers, another pointed out the presence of bank lobbyists in Congress and other financial regulatory agencies.

Walsh cut off them off, and screamed at one man: "Don't blame the banks ... that pisses me off" before telling the calm constituent that he was going to ask him to leave if he didn't stop talking.

(Watch the full video taken by District116 here)

Rich Miller of the Capitol Fax Blog questioned Walsh about the freakout via email.

"I am very passionate at these events as well as at my town halls," Walsh wrote. "This was no different except I was working on an empty stomach and had a quicker fuse than normal."

He went on to say that he apologized to one woman he had a "heated exchange" with, and she "smiled and didn’t mind at all."

The man who recorded the "Cup of Joe" session, which was about an hour long, told the Chicago Tribune it was unfortunate that only a portion of the video was being circulated online.

“My feeling is Joe was responding aggressively. Let’s not say aggressively. He was very animated in his response to some of the people who came with their own agendas,” the Walsh supporter told the Tribune.

Walsh also clarified his stance on big banks to Capitol Fax:

"Regarding the substance ... of what I was trying to say - I’m no pal of the big banks and I wouldn’t have voted to bail any of them out. If they’ve abused their charters they need to be prosecuted fully. But they didn’t get us into this mess - goverment policy which has dictated for years that everyone should own a home got us here. The banks only followed the rules government set. And further government meddling will only exasperate the problem."

See the exchange with constituents here via District 116:

Comments

[JayVal60]

03:53 PM on 11/21/2011

So that is what an empty stomach does to Walsh. Thank god he hadn't stuffed himself on Twinkies or the result wold have been more tragic!!!

[jpl0202]

07:39 AM on 11/21/2011

coo-coo for coco puffs! How do these guys get elected in the first place?

[jd2020]

10:34 AM on 11/18/2011

Saying that housing collapse was caused by our belief in "American Dream" is rather unpatriotic, wouldn't you say so? The fact is that the housing bubble was caused by greed and abuses among banks, speculators and investors. Pinning this on a working American family that simply wanted a better life for their kids is completely wrong. People like this don't belong in Congress.

[EdRea]

10:26 AM on 11/18/2011

Yes, Joe. Banks are just hapless bystanders waiting for the government to tell them what to do. They'd NEVER try to influence lawmakers over banking industry rules. That's just plain silly. What in the world could we have been thinking by saying that Banks bear responsibility in the Banking crisis?

[JanC86]

02:37 PM on 11/14/2011

Lets face it - he'll need all that hot air to blow up his date later!

[WiltonDiary]

09:24 PM on 11/13/2011

Joe: Now you know how your starving children feel.

[re-elect clinton]

09:24 PM on 11/13/2011

If this is how he acts on a empty stomach, imagine what he would say if he where being water boarded.

[reader1]

06:04 PM on 11/13/2011

"You sir are a liar."

[irv]

03:53 PM on 11/13/2011

joe is dead meat. get on to important things. i predict he will commit political suicide in the next few months. also, he will be gone when judge Vargas affirms the complaint of his former wife. WHAT A LOSER!

[roshni]

02:23 PM on 11/13/2011

Joe, paid your child support lately????

[SeaMikeC]

11:44 AM on 11/13/2011

He should try living with an empty stomach, even for three days then maybe he'll change his tune.

[47th]

11:51 AM on 11/12/2011

He should have blamed his empty head, instead of his empty stomach

[DawnK]

11:26 AM on 11/12/2011

I think its funny he came to the conclusion that the woman didn't mind at all except that she was on Lawrence O'Donnell and she totally minded.

[Dolores de Cabeza]

03:43 PM on 11/12/2011

LOL!

[WiltonDiary]

09:21 PM on 11/13/2011

Of course she did. There are very few people in the USA Joe Walsh hasn't insulted.

[dans5843]

10:29 AM on 11/12/2011

Joe is a bad congressman, bad husband, bad father an over all a loser.

[WiltonDiary]

09:22 PM on 11/13/2011

Then why did the Family Research Council a well respected Conservative Christian organization name him Father of the Year?

[dogofwar]

09:27 PM on 11/13/2011

Beacause according to the FRC women and children aren't important. It's all about the fetus!

[re-elect clinton]

09:27 PM on 11/13/2011

Are they paid to do there research? If so, there no different then moody's, or S&P. Pay them and see if their research isn't tilted.

[mom2luke]

10:48 PM on 11/11/2011

"The banks only followed the rules government set. "
sweet innocent banks. no, couldn't be their fault.

what. a. willfully ignorant man. he should try listening to his constituents for a change. He could've eaten and listened at same time.

[WiltonDiary]

09:23 PM on 11/13/2011

Republicans can't walk a chew gum at the same time, how could they possibly eat and listen?