American Morning
Carter: Racism plays major role in opposition to Obama
(CNN) - Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that racial politics played a role in South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's speech to Congress last week and in some of the opposition the president has faced since taking office.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/15/carter.obama/art.carter.nbc.jpg caption="Former President Carter tells NBC Nightly News that racism has surfaced in opposition to President Obama."]
"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American," Carter told NBC News. "I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that shares the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans."
"That racism inclination still exists, and I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of belief among many white people - not just in the South but around the country - that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply," Carter said.
Rep. Wilson faces resolution of disapproval
CNN Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The House will vote Tuesday on a resolution of disapproval of Rep. Joe Wilson, the South Carolina Republican who yelled "you lie" during President Barack Obama's health-care speech to a joint session of Congress last week.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/15/wilson.resolution/art.wilson2.gi.jpg caption="Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina, shouts "You lie!" during President Obama's speech Wednesday night."]
The House Democratic leadership met Monday evening and agreed to move forward with a resolution of disapproval, according to two Democratic leadership aides.
The resolution "goes directly to the issue of his conduct on the House floor," said Kristie Greco, spokeswoman for House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina.
Discussion at Monday evening's leadership meeting was about "how this speaks to the breach of decorum alone, and not addressing the issue sets a precedent for bad behavior," Greco said.
"We're not the British Parliament for a reason," she added.
ACORN workers allegedly gave prostitution tips
(CNN) - Two employees at the Baltimore, Maryland, branch of the liberal community organizing group ACORN were caught on tape allegedly offering advice to a pair posing as a pimp and prostitute on setting up a prostitution ring and evading the IRS.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/10/acorn.prostitution/art.acorn.investigation.youtube.jpg caption="The footage, which appears to have been edited in places, was recorded and posted online Thursday."]
The video footage - which has been edited and goes to black in some areas - was recorded and posted online Thursday by James O'Keefe, a conservative activist. He was joined on the video by another conservative, Hannah Giles, who posed as the prostitute in the filmmakers' undercover sting.
The video shows the pair approaching two women working at the ACORN Baltimore office and asking them for advice on how to set up a prostitution ring involving more than a dozen underage girls from El Salvador.
One of the ACORN workers suggests that Giles refer to herself as a "performing artist" on tax forms and declare some of the girls as dependents to receive child tax credits.
"Stop saying prostitution," the woman, identified by the filmmaker as an ACORN tax expert, tells Giles. The other woman tells them, "You want to keep them clean ... make sure they go to school."
Wilson: 'You lie' remark spontaneous
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The GOP congressman from South Carolina who shouted out during President Obama's health care address to Congress insisted Thursday that his outburst was "spontaneous."
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/10/obama.heckled.speech/art.joe.wilson.heckling.gi.jpg caption="Rep. Joe Wilson shouts, "You lie!" after President Obama denies the health plan would cover illegal immigrants."]
Rep. Joe Wilson shocked many observers Wednesday night when he shouted, "You lie!" after the president denied that health care legislation would provide free coverage for illegal immigrants.
Some people using Twitter suggested that Wilson's retort was planned and pointed to a comment the lawmaker posted on Labor Day:
"Happy Labor Day! Wonderful parade at Chapin, many people called out to oppose Obamacare which I assured them would be relayed tomorrow to DC," the tweet from Wilson's account said.
However, on the way to his office Thursday morning, Wilson said his outburst wasn't planned.
"It was spontaneous. It was when he stated, as he did, about not covering illegal aliens, when I knew we had those two amendments, and I say that respectfully," Wilson said.
He was referring to two amendments on one version of proposed health care legislation, which he said would have provided for verification of citizenship. Both of the amendments were defeated, he said.
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