Congressman John Dingell has served in the House of Representatives for over 50 years. In all that time, he never heard a member of Congress heckle a President of the United States…Until last night.
Unfortunately, when Joe Wilson shouted out “You lie!” at President Obama, this wasn’t the beginning of hatred and hostility directed at him byfrom Republicans. It was just the latest manifestation.
We saw it when people called Obama a “traitor” at those Sarah Palin rallies during the campaign.
We saw it when even members of Congress called him an “illegitimate” president over his birth certificate.
We saw it when people called him a “socialist” at tea parties and town hall meetings.
And we saw it last night, when Congressman Joe Wilson from South Carolina called him a liar on the floor of the House of Representatives.
That was rude, disrespectful conduct unworthy of the Congress and unworthy of the American people.
Yes, Joe Wilson issued a quick, written apology. But that’s not good enough. As House Whip James Clyburn first demanded on our show this morning, John Boehner, House Republican leader, should demand that Wilson go to the floor of the House of Representatives today and apologize to the President, to members of the House and Senate, to the people of South Carolina, and to the American people.
And then, voters of South Carolina should kick his butt out of the House.
That’s my parting shot for today.
[...] Bill’s Blog: Disrespect [...]
Disrespect: remember bushes vice-president’s comments to Sen. Leahy? the precedent was set then. no apologies either.
I purposefully do not listen or watch any “main stream” radio or tv choosing instead to ferret out progressive programs but what do i get? you guys quoting and talk talk talking about all of them, naming them and repeating what they say,printing photos. by the time the next elections come along they will have more name recognition from your shows than any of the decent politicians running for office. So many of them lost because they didn’t have enough money to get their name out there. Can’t you just ignore these people or at least not name them so often and instead name our guys Rob Miller Rob Miller Rob Miller at least as often.
Hi Bill,
I agree with eveything you wrote in your blog. I sent an email to the disrespectful Rep. indicating my outrage at his outburst. I am appalled that our elected officials have stooped to the level of disregard for not only the government, but the citizens of the country. I also suggested he apologize to the citizens of South Carolina and all Americans. I also gave him a “dressing down” for setting a poor example for the youg people of our country.
I sent an email of support to the White House. I’m sick and tired of the unreasonable hassle over health care reform. I plan to contact the Congressmen from Delaware regarding support for health care reform.
Brenda
I am outraged at the mis conduct of the Congressman from S Carolina…The best way to show your displeasure is to do what I (and thousands of others) did…Send a check today to Rob Miller Democrat for Congress. Rob is a good man and Iraq War Veteran. If the DEMS and Independents around the country each sent $25 we could push him over the top next year…
Why is NOT showing respect to the office a surprise anymore, didn’t someone recently tell a Senator to go F#@% himself on the Senate floor? After that, I guess it’s “open season”. Anyhow, this has really presented an opportunity. The opposers of health care are demanding it to be written into the bill that illegal aliens can not have free care. O.K., I’m for that too. Let’s write the language to also say that the health care for those individuals MUST be provided by the employers who hire them. Probably wouldn’t pass, but it sure would be interesting to see who supported it.
Here’s what obama should do: bring Wilson to a chat at the White House, like he did with the policeman. Talk his ears off about his healthcare plan. Ask Wilson to show him were he thinks the President is lying about his own plan. Bring him out to the press to state that HE was wrong, that the President was telling the truth. The truth is the issue……. and BTW, yeah let’s not immunize those illegals, lets be sure they spread all sorts of viruses.
Joe still owes an apology but this time to his fellow house members and senators and to the American people!!!
the joe willsons ; AND ANYOTHER PERSON WHO WORKS FOR THE CORPORATIONS AT fox news ARE THE PROBLEM ;
THEY ARE GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER AND BETTING AMERICANS WON’T FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE fcc.gov :
look dont wate for the media too come to the rescue they are the enemy……..who do you think OWNS the insurance and several drug manufacturing firms and every newspapper in the real world ??? well find out its them:
fox/nbc/cbs/Abc time warner/new york post and ny times/washington post ????? they control the media ???? all of it @
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2001 NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
David Fiske
(202) 418-0513
FCC APPROVES FOX/CHRIS-CRAFT MERGER WITH CONDITIONS
Washington – - The FCC announced today it has approved the application of Fox Television Stations, Inc. (FTS) to acquire the 10 television stations held by Chris-Craft Industries and its subsidiaries BHC Communications and United Television, Inc. (The stations to be acquired are listed below.) The approval was granted with conditions requiring the licensee to comply with FCC rules on television duopolies, the 35% national television audience cap, and newspaper/broadcast cross ownership.
The FCC said that FTS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fox Television Holdings, Inc., which in turn is controlled by Mr. Rupert Murdoch. The broadcast licenses of the Chris-Craft stations will be held and controlled by FTS, while their non-license assets will be held by a new Fox subsidiary (Newco) that is ultimately controlled by News Corporation. Newco will operate the stations pursuant to an operating agreement with FTS. In its order, the Commission finds that the proposed company structure complies with its previous decisions regarding alien ownership of Fox entities.
The transaction will result in duopolies in New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Salt Lake City. These duopolies comply with the Commission’s rules, except in Salt Lake City where each of Fox’s two stations are ranked within the top four stations in the city. The FCC order gives Fox six months to divest one of these two stations.
The transaction will also result in Fox having an attributable interest in television stations with an aggregate national audience reach of 40.91%. The Commission’s rules prohibit a party from owning stations that have an aggregate national audience reach in excess of 35%. The Commission granted Fox a 12 month period of time to come into compliance with the national ownership rule. However, since the 35% national ownership cap is currently the subject of review in the D.C. Circuit Court, the Commission said it would delay the effectiveness of this part of the order pending final disposition of the court case.
Fox has an existing permanent waiver of the television/newspaper cross-ownership rule permitting it to own the New York Post and television station WNYW (TV), New York. In this transaction, Fox will acquire a second television station, WWOR(TV), in that market. Fox argued that it should be permitted to acquire this second station under its existing waiver and under the Commission’s revised duopoly rule. The FCC concluded that the original waiver was not adequate to cover the new combination, and instead ordered Fox to come into compliance with the existing waiver’s one newspaper/one television station ownership limit within 24 months. The Commission said affording limited time periods for licensees to come into compliance with the FCC’s multiple ownership rules is consistent with prior decisions permitting companies to engage in an orderly disposition of assets and avoid forced sales.
CHRIS-CRAFT STATIONS TO BE TRANSFERRED TO FOX
Station Market
WWOR-TV (UPN-9) New York, NY
KCOP (UPN-13) Los Angeles, CA
KMSP (UPN-9) Minneapolis, MN
KUTP (UPN-45) Phoenix, AZ
WRBW (UPN-65) Orlando, FL
KPTV (UPN-12) Portland, OR
WUTB (UPN-24) Baltimore, MD
KTVX (ABC-4) Salt Lake City, UT
KMOL (NBC-4) San Antonio, TX
KBHK (UPN-45) San Francisco, CA
Action by the Commission, July 23, 2001, FCC No. 01-209; Chairman Powell, Commissioners Abernathy and Martin; and Commissioners Tristani and Copps dissenting; with separate statements issued by Chairman Powell and Commissioners Tristani, Abernathy and Copps
STATEMENT
OF COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS,
DISSENTING
Re: General Motors Corporation and Hughes Electronics, Corporation, Transferors
and The News Corporation Limited, Transferee, For Authority to Transfer
Control
Here we go again. Today the Commission demonstrates how serious — and
seriously misguided — it was when it voted on June 2 to eviscerate media concentration
protections. Presented with the opportunity to signal whether it intends to protect the
important goals of diversity, competition, and localism, or to allow instead ever greater
and more threatening levels of media consolidation, the majority flashes the green light
for the next great wave of media consolidation.
News Corp was already a media giant:
• In the U.S., News Corp. owns television stations reaching over 44 percent of
the country. (WNYW-5, New York; WWOR-TV-9, New York; KTTV-11,
Los Angeles; KCOP-13, Los Angeles; WFLD-32, Chicago; WPWR-TV-50,
Chicago; WTXF-TV-29, Philadelphia; WFXT-25, Boston; KDFW-4, Dallas;
KDFI-27, Dallas; WTTG-5, Washington, DC; WDCA-20, Washington, DC;
KMSP-TV-9, Minneapolis; WFTC-29, Minneapolis; WJBK-2, Detroit;
WAGA-5, Atlanta; WUTB-24, Baltimore; KRIV-26, Houston; KTXH-20,
Houston; WTVT-13, Tampa Bay; WRBW-65, Orlando; WOFL-35, Orlando;
WJW-8, Cleveland; KSAZ-TV-10, Phoenix; KUTP-45, Phoenix; KDVR-31,
Denver; KTVI-2, St. Louis; WITI-6, Milwaukee; WDAF-TV-4, Kansas City;
KSTU-13, Salt Lake City; WBRC-6, Birmingham; WHBQ-TV-13, Memphis;
WGHP-8, Greensboro; KTBC-7, Austin; WOGX-51, Ocala).
• In nine markets, it owns more than one television station (New York, Los
Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, DC, Minneapolis, Houston, Orlando
and Phoenix).
• It owns a major national broadcast network (Fox).
• It owns numerous cable and DBS channels, including regional sports
networks across the country (among them FX, Fox News Channel, Fox Movie
Channel, Fox Sports, Fox Sports en Espagnol, National Geographic Channel,
Speed Channel).
• It owns the most widely used electronic program guide for navigating
television content (Gemstar-TV Guide).
• It owns newspapers, magazines, and publishing (including