Obama Heckled During Healthcare Speech

Joe Wilson, republican congressman of South Carolina, apologized for shouting, “You lie!” during President Barack Obama’s speech to congress yesterday. According to Obama, Wilson apologized “quickly and without equivocation,” while Wilson claimed the shout-out was “spontaneous.”

“We all make mistakes,” Obama told reporters, a day after Wilson’s remark. In attempt to keep attention focused on the health insurance bill, House leaders are not trying to draw out the event.

“It’s time for us to talk about health care, not Mr. Wilson,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Wilson’s outburst came after Obama stated his health care bill would not “insure illegal immigrants.”

In fact, the bill explicitly prohibits spending federal money towards illegal immigrants health care coverage: “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully in the United States.”

However, Wilson’s outburst is not unmerited. Opposition argues the bill doesn’t do enough to enforce the no-immigrant rule and claim it’s not what is in the bill, but what it leaves out.

On Thursday, Wilson stated, “It was when he stated, as he did, about not (health care insurance) not covering illegal aliens … We need to discuss the issues and I’m happy to do that.”

Wilson told reporters he called the White House at the urging of senior Republicans and was grateful to have talked with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Wilson said he agreed with the White House’ interest in pursuing “a civil conversation” on health care.

The night of the speech, Wilson issued a comment:

“This evening I let my emotions get the best of me,” he said in a statement. “While I disagree with the president’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.”

Today, Obama accepted Wilson’s apology, and noted, “”I do think that, as I said last night, we have to get to the point where we can have a conversation about big, important issues that matter to the American people without vitriol, without name-calling, without the assumption of the worst in other people’s motives.”